Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year cricket career is coming to an end today

The Dhaka Times Desk Little Master Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year cricket career is coming to an end today with his 200th Test match. In this long journey who has taken cricket to new heights with his batting, left many epics which may never be broken! The entire cricketing world respects him as the God of Cricket.

Tendulkar will put up his bat-pads in the Test match between India and West Indies starting today at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This is Sachin's 200th Test match, which is also the world record for most Test matches played.

Tendulkar scored more than 30,000 runs in ODI and Test matches. The world is in serious doubt as to when another cricketer will score so many runs. The image of patience that Tendulkar has built over the years by playing under the huge expectations and pressure of India, a country of hundreds of millions of people, will be a role model for new cricketers for ages.

Tendulkar owns almost all the records of cricket. Tendulkar's achievements in life are so high that Sir Don Bradman's Test average of 99.94 and Brian Lara's unbeaten Test record of 400 runs are not regretted by Tendulkar.

When he made his international cricket debut at the age of 16 in 1989, who would have thought that world cricket would bow in respect when this boy retired? Maybe no one thought, but the then coach Ramakant Sarkar knew the priceless gem called Tendulkar.

Tendulkar's greatest achievement in life is winning the 2011 World Cup. Then the World Cup that India wanted to win so much was for Tendulkar alone. He has served India for so many years but no one could accept that he would not have a World Cup in his possession. Captain Dhoni brilliantly led the team throughout the tournament and gave Tendulkar the World Cup.

Tendulkar's bat was burnt again and again in the World Cup due to the need of the team. In the last World Cup, he won the team by scoring a century in the semi-finals. Before this, Tendulkar was brilliant in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, this master blaster is also on top of the list of highest run scorers in the World Cup.

Cricket brought no less thrills in Tendulkar's life. When Tendulkar made his Test debut against England at the age of 17 in 1990, Tendulkar became the owner of 15 centuries by the age of 25! Of course, Tendulkar had to wait 79 matches for a century in ODIs! But once he got it, he scored 49 consecutive centuries in a long career! Tendulkar also scored 51 centuries in Tests, in total, Tendulkar took himself to another height.

He gave himself the greatest gift on his 37th birthday! He became the first cricketer in history to reach the milestone of 200 runs in ODI against South Africa. Even at the age of 37, Tendulkar played with the youthfulness of a 21-year-old!

Tendulkar also holds the record for centuries in ODIs and Tests against all countries. When Tendulkar's unbeaten 148 and 114 in two consecutive innings won India in the Sydney Test series, Don-Bradman told his wife, "This boy plays just like me!", when the world's best bowling line-up McGrath-Shane Warne was enjoying a golden era in Australia.

Many people have talked about Sachin so far but the most apt quote is probably another great batsman Larai said, "When you talk about basketball it's Jordan, when you talk about cricket it's definitely Tendulkar!"

Don-Badman was moved by Sachin's performance. He told his wife, “When I was watching his game on TV, his technique, his batting skills touched me. I've never seen my own batting, but that day I felt like I was Sachin, that's exactly how I played!”

A quote by Australia's one-time dashing opener Matthew Hayden about Sachin has been immortalized, "I saw God, he batted at number 4 for India!"