The Real Cricketer or the Master Blaster?

In the sweltering heat, on the street, the tar melting under his feet, a man holding a bat in his hand playing cricket with kids.

He has been batting for hours. He has not got out. Everyone is cheering for him. Who is he?

He is me.

Yes I am batting and I have been batting for hours. I have scored over thousand runs and am still playing.

But do you know something special about me? I am batting with my eyes closed.

I am a very poor cricket player. But today I have scored so many runs. I just can't believe it.

How? Well I can tell you that but on condition that you won't reveal my secret to anybody.

I have closed my eyes and am dreaming of Sachin Tendulkar batting. I have adapted his style and am batting like him.

I imagine the ball coming to me and swing my bat accordingly. I play my stroke according to my imagination. 

How is it so accurate? Because it is Sachin Tendulkar's style. Yes the Master Blaster or the Real Cricketer.

Sachin was a born in a well to do family. His father Ramesh Tendulkar, a novelist named him Sachin after his idol Sachin Dev Burman.

Sachin started his schooling at Sahradashram Vidyamandir in Mumbai and he started his cricket practice under his coach and mentor Ramakant Achrekar. 

Sachin also tried to train as a fast bowler but Australian legend Dennis Lillee advised him to concentrate on his batting.

Sachin use to bat at the nets for hours when he was young. Whenever he used to get exhuasted Ramakant used to put a one rupee coin at the top of the stumps and ask the bowlers to get him out if the wanted to get that coin.

If they were unable to get him out then Sachin used to get that coin. Sachin has achieved 13 of such coins and they are very precious to him.

He and his team mate Vinod Kambli made a unbroken 664 run partnership in the Lord Harris Shield inter school game in 1988. The reduced one bowler to tears and made the opposition unwilling to go on with the game.

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar gave Tendulkar his own ultra light pads and that has been the greatest source of encouragement for him.

Sachin Tendulkar is the one and only player to score a century in his Duleep, Ranji, and Irani trophy debuts.

He has the world record for most runs, centuries, fifties and man of the matches in ODIs and in Tests he is on his way to make these records. Except for the record for most centuries in Tests Sachin doesn not have any other record in that form of the game.

Sachin never played for the under-19 teams. He straight away played with the seniors.

Sachin Tendulkar has played with many legends.

He played his first ODI under the leadership of Krishmachari Shrikkanth. Though both his test and ODI debuts wre unimpressive but both his debut series were impressive for a 16-year-old. 

Tendulkar has never been a great captain but has always been a great player. He has never even tried to fix matches or take bribe. He has always played for the team. He has also encouraged other players to do well and also suggested good tactics which have helped the team.

Sachin is an abidextrous. He plays cricket with his right hand but when he writes he is a left hander.

Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman has said that Sachin's batting style is similar to his.

Sachin has always been great and will always be great. He is my favourite cricketer and I hope no one ever breaks his record after he retires.