Sachin Tendulkar turned 36 on Friday and this past year has presented us with some awesome memories. His hundreds – 109 against Australia, 160 against New Zealand and that record-breaking 103* against England in Tests and the superb 163* against New Zealand in ODIs – were all for a winning cause. Except for the mediocre tour of Sri Lanka, he has been in amazing touch throughout the year including becoming the highest run-getter in Test cricket.
The remarkable feature of his batting this year has the been his controlled, risk-free approach. After Sehwag’s extraordinary innings set up the record chase, Tendulkar’s batting was so calm and serene that despite the long odds, it seemed like a win was inevitable! Even his 163* against New Zealand though enormous in magnitude was not a violent, bludgeoning innings. It was an assured, flawless, innovative, perfectly paced masterpiece.
Thanks for the wonderful memories, Sachin. Here’s to another great year - Cheers!