#ThisDayThatYear: Sachin Tendulkar embarked upon a special journey
On November 15, 1989, a 16-year-old boy Sachin Tendulkar, was given his maiden Test cap. From then on, he went on to redefine the way, the sport was played. He etched his place in the hearts of fans, across the world with his attributes both on and off the field. This 16-year-old soon transformed into the 'God of Cricket' for millions of Indians.
Sachin made his debut against Pakistan
Tendulkar made his Test debut against arch-rivals Pakistan at the age of just 16 years and 205 days. Till date, he remains the youngest Indian to have achieved the feat. The young batsman was facing one of the fiercest pace bowling attacks, in the history, which comprised the likes of Waqar, Wasim and Imran. But Tendulkar wasn't afraid of anybody.
Sachin managed 15 in his debut innings
Batting first, Pakistan posted a decent total of 409 on the board, with skipper Imran Khan smashing a ton (109). Prabhakar was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 5 wickets to his name. In reply, India were reeling at 4/41 and then came in the 16-year-old Sachin. He managed only 15 runs, which consisted of 2 boundaries. Waqar dismissed him with an in-swinger.
India saved the Test against Pakistan
India managed to get to 262, before Pakistan declared at 305/5 in the second innings. Tendulkar also bowled four overs in the second innings in which he gave away 15 runs. India went on to salvage the Test after batting to safety in the fourth innings of the match. Tendulkar didn't get an opportunity to bat as India scored 303/3.
Sachin took off in the second Test
Tendulkar took the opportunity in the first innings of the second Test to show that he was once-in-a-lifetime talent. There was no fear in his eyes and he eased into the situation to slam his maiden Test fifty. Sachin managed a gritty 59 off 172 balls as he helped India post 288. It was a special knock from a young kid.
Sachin soon became the best batsman in the world
Sachin ruled the cricketing world for around two decades. His impact on the sport is monumental. In his era, he was the best. There is no doubt about that. Both his simplicity and humble attitude speak volumes about the man. He went on to script a plethora of records and his runs in both ODIs and Tests are a testament to the same.
Sachin was the first serial record breaker
Sachin played 200 Tests and amassed 15,921 runs. He hit 51 tons and is the record holder. Further, he featured in a total of 463 ODIs and hit 18,426 runs. He slammed 49 tons and 96 fifties.
