Page 19 - XIC Class Magazine

MASTER BLASTER

Introduced to cricket at age 11, Sachin Tendulkar was just 16 when he
became India's youngest Test cricketer. In 2005, he became the first cricketer
to score 35 centuries (100 runs in a single inning) in Test play. In 2008, he
reached another major milestone by surpassing Brian Lara's mark of 11,953
Test runs. Sachin took home the World Cup with his team in 2011 and ended
his record-breaking career in 2013. Sachin was born April 24, 1973, in
Bombay, India, to a middle-class family, the youngest of four children. His
father was a writer and a professor, while his mother worked for a life
insurance company. Named after his family's favorite music director, Sachin
Dev Burman, Sacchin wasn't a gifted student, but he'd always shown himself
to be a great athlete. He was 11 years old when he was given his first cricket
bat, and his talent in the sport was immediately brought out. At the age of 14,
he scored 326 out of a world-record stand of 664 in a school match. As his
achievements grew, he became familiar among Bombay schoolboys. After
high school, Sachin enrolled at Kirti College, where his father also taught. The
fact that he decided to go to the school where his father worked came as no
surprise.His family is very close, and years after he'd achieved stardom and
fame, he continued to live next door to his parents. When 15-year-old Sachin
Tendulkar scored a century in his domestic first-class debut for Bombay in
December 1988, making him the youngest player to do so. Eleven months
later, he made his international debut for India against Pakistan, where he
famously declined medical assistance despite getting hit in the face by Waqar
Younis. In August 1990, the 17-year-old delivered a match-saving 119 not out
against England to become the second-youngest player to record a century in
Test play. Other celebrated early highlights included a pair of centuries in
Australia in 1992, one of them coming at the blindingly fast WACA track in
Perth.Sachin in 1992 also became the first international player to sign with
England's Yorkshire club. In India, Tendulkar's star shined even brighter. In a
country troubled by economic instability, the young cricketer was seen as a
symbol of hope by his countrymen that better times lay ahead. One national
weekly went so far as to devote an entire issue to the young cricketer,
dubbing him "The Last Hero" for his home country. His style of play—
aggressive and inventive—got him a place in the hearts of cricket fans, as did
his off-the-field living. Even with his increasing wealth, Tendulkar showed
humility and refused to flaunt his status. After finishing the 1996 World Cup as
the event's leading scorer, Sachin was named captain of the Indian national
team. However, his captaincy couldn't make up to his otherwise illustrious
career. He was relieved of the responsibility in January 1998, and briefly took