My Sachin Moments

As the glittering hall of fame career of Sachin Tendulkar comes to an end it is time to rewind on his most famous memories that he has bestowed upon us.Here is a list of my most memorable Sachin moments:

1.Sandstorm Innings,Sharjah,1998

The Master Blaster  was at his imperial best in the two innings he played against the mighty Aussies in Sharjah. Little Master scored two back to back hundreds with scores of 143 in the semi final & 134 in the final to win it for India.It is unarguably one of the finest dsiplay of dominant batting one could witness.The memory stays intact with all of his fans & the nation.The sixes that he hit of Moody,Kasprowicz,Warne & Fleming were amazing.Both innings played under immense pressure as India had to chase a total in excess of 270 both the times.Sachin was on a different zone during this period,he dominated the game of cricket in the 1990's like no cricketer  did.

2.Demolishing Pakistani Attack.World Cup,2003

The six that Sachin hit of Shoaib Akhtar's ball in the group match, in the 2003 World Cup remains one of the most memorable sight for a cricket fan.He cut him hard over backward point,the ball travelled a long distance & went for a huge six.The crowd at Centurion Park erupted in a frenzy.Fans in the stadium went mad.Sachin demolished the likes of Wasim Akram,Waqar Younis,Abdur Razzaq,Shahid Afridi & particularly Shoaib Akhtar as India beat Pakistan in the match.

3.Six of Andrew Caddick,World Cup,2003

India Vs England it was in the group match,Sachin was batting & Andrew Caddick was bowling.Caddick bowled a bouncer & Sachin pulled him for a wild six.Yes the bowl sailed out of the stadium.It was a massive massive six.Tony Greig's commentary on that particular shot made it even more memorable.

4.Rivalry vs Warne

Two of the greatest cricketers ever, went head to head several times in the prime of their careers.It was a joy to watch Sachin bat against the Wizard of Spin,Shane Warne.Tendulkar dominated Warne like no other batsman did,eventually always got the better of Warne.His best shots against Warne were the inside out ,hitting sixes & fours right over Warne's head,dancing down the track & hitting him for boundaries.It was the most exciting battle in cricket.Sachin gave us plenty of memorable moments during his duel with Warne.

5.29th,30th,34th,35th&50th Test Tons

I made a point to point out these particular hundreds of Sachin for the simple reason:

29th Test Ton against West Indies-equalled Sir Don Bradman's record of 29 test tons

30th test ton against England at Leeds broke the Don's record

34th test ton against Bangladesh, equalled the previous world record of 34 test hundreds by Sunil Gavaskar

35th test ton against Sri Lanka at New Delhi,The Master finally broke Sunil Gavaskar's record of 34 test tons 

50th Test ton-Perhaps the most memorable hundred for Sachin & his fans.To score 50 test hundreds is a gigantic feat.None could dream,achieve or think that it was even humanly possible to scale 50 test hundreds.These tons have been memorable not just to me but millions of his fans.

6.Winning the World Cup,2011

This was perhaps the last chance the Master had to cherish his unfulfilled dream of winning the most prized possession in cricket,every cricketers dream,to win the cricket World Cup.The Master after playing for almost two decades & losing in the 2003 World Cup Final had his moment under the sun.India finally won the cricket world cup after 1983.Sachin batted beautifully throughout the tournament,he was the second highest run getter in the tournament.A very emotional moment for the master as well as his fans.

7.103* vs England @ Chennai,2008

One of his best innings in test match cricket.The match was played in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks that took place in Mumbai.The Indian team was to chase 387 on the last day.Sehwag,Yuvraj & Tendlya did it for Team India.For those who criticise that Sachin didn't perform under pressure,this was The Master's answer to his critics.Indian won the nail biting contest in a thrilling manner,Tendulkar score a magnificent hundred.One of his best innings & surely a memorable moment for his fans.Tendulkar scoring a hundred & India winning.

8.200* vs South Africa @ Gwalior,2010

I will quote Ravi Shastri's commentary here,"First man to score 200 & he is the Superman from India".It was one of the most defining moments for Sachin as a cricketer as no cricketer had ever scored 200 in an ODI.Sachin scoring the 200 made us even more proud for our hero.It was an amazing & memorable moment for Sachin fans.

9.Heroics in T20 Cricket

The Master Blaster people knew was back & back with a bang.Few could belive Sachin could play dominating cricket yet again.The fours & sixes he hit was a treat for the fans.Vintage Sachin in action yet again thrashed bowling attacks in the IPL.He was  the highest run getter in IPL  for a brief period & also won the IPL,Champions League & did the unbelievable, scoring a ton in T20 cricket.It was fabulous watching Master bat the way he used to bat in the prime of his career.

10.Retirement from International Cricket

Carrying the hopes of a billion people for nearly 24 years,bringing smile & joy on the faces of countless people,Sachin Tendulkar quitting from International Cricket after his last test against the West Indies is a sad day for cricket.But for his biggest fans "Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar" would always remain their hero,idol,inspiration.Hail the God of Cricket #ThankYouSachin for the memories you have given us over the years.