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The man who played in 40 per cent of India's 500 Tests

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The man who played in 40 per cent of Indias 500 Tests
Sachin Tendulkar at a programme on the occasion of India's 500th Test match at Green Park in Kanpur on Thursday.

Dubai - The incredible journey started at 16

By Rituraj Borkakoty

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Published: Thu 22 Sep 2016, 8:04 PM

Last updated: Fri 2 Dec 2016, 10:01 AM

While India is celebrating their 500th Test match, we take a look at a player who played in 40 per cent of those matches. In case you haven't got the hint yet, let us tell you that that player is none other than Sachin Tendulkar.

As you know, Tendulkar retired from the game in 2013. But not before playing his 200th Test match. That means the 100-century man has been involved in 40 per cent of the matches India have played in the traditional format of the game. 
Now that's quite a phenomenal number, isn't it?
But the man from Mumbai never ceases to amaze cricket fans. And it's remarkable that even three years after his retirement, here we are, still admiring the legacy of numbers he has left behind.
Of course, it all started at 16. At an age when most kids' biggest ambition is to play street cricket with friends, Sachin was rubbing shoulders with the greats of the game - Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Abdul Qadir and Javed Miandad - on the biggest stage of them all.
There was another young man who was a tad older. Waqar Younis was 18 and his nasty bouncer would floor Sachin only for the Indian to get back on his feet and play a defiant innings.
"I had the gut feeling that this boy was something special. When he made his debut against us in Pakistan I was stunned by his technique and the way he played, the way he got back to play after being hit on the chin," Wasim Akram told Khaleej Times last year during an interview.
"I realised that this was a very, very gutsy 16-year-old boy. Apart from the talent, I saw the time he had to play his shots. Eventually he proved me right. He got 100 international hundreds and became the best batsman the world has ever seen," said Wasim, the greatest left-arm fast bowler in the history of the game. 
"I mean I have bowled to some great batsmen like (Sunil) Gavaskar and (Viv) Richards, but they were in the twilight when I bowled to them.
"On the other hand, I bowled to Sachin when he just arrived at the international stage and imagine he was playing for India against Pakistan in Pakistan as a 16-year-old. That says a lot about him." 
Now on the occasion of India's 500th Test match, let's take a look at some of the memorable Sachin Tendulkar Test knocks - including the one in Chennai in 1999 when he almost single-handedly dragged India to victory against Wasim Akram's Pakistan! 


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