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 Ten magical Sachin facts
Around the Academy:
Sachin Tendulkar drives for India
Tendulkar rolls out another text book drive
Whenever he's at the crease, the whole of India (over 1bn people) grinds to a halt to watch him weave his batting magic.

Here are 10 reasons why the man is a walking legend.

  • New balls please! Sachin originally wanted to be a professional tennis player. When he started playing cricket he wanted to be a fast bowler, but because of his height (or lack of it), he became a batsman.

  • Sachin was given a pair of pads by his cricket hero Sunil Gavaskar when he was a schoolboy - and he made his Test debut for India against Pakistan aged just 15-years old in 1989 wearing those very pads.

    Sachin Tendulkar in action on his Test debut in 1989
    The Little Master...when he was a little master

  • The first of many - Sachin was just 17 years and 109 days old when he scored his debut Test century against England at Old Trafford back in 1990, finishing up on 119 not out.

  • Sachin was the first ever foreign cricketer to play for Yorkshire in 1992. Before then, only players who were born in the county were ever allowed to play for Yorkshire. But the rules were changed and in came a 19-year-old Sachin, scoring 1000 runs at an average of 46.

  • Unenviable record - Sachin was the first batsman ever to be given out by the third umpire when he was run out against South Africa in the first Test in Durban back in 1992.

  • He uses an incredibly heavy bat at the crease, weighing in at 3.2lbs - in fact, only South Africa's master blaster Lance Klusener uses a heavier bat in world cricket.

  • Like loads of other cricketers, Sachin is pretty superstitious - he'll always put on his left pad before his right whenever he's getting padded up.

    Shane Warne looks disappointed after being hit for four
    Ah no! Sachin's rolled into town!

  • Off the pitch, Sachin seriously loves his motorsport. In 2002 he was given a brand-spanking new Ferrari 360 Modena by six-time World Champion Michael Schumacher at Silverstone!

  • Take one! Sachin made a special appearance in the Bollywood film "Stumped" in 2003 as himself.

  • Shane Warne once said: "I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six".



    • Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar factfile
    Born: 24 April 1973
    Birthplace: Mumbai, India
    Teams: Mumbai, Yorkshire, India
    Height: 5ft 5ins
    Bowling: Right-arm spin
    Batting: Right Hand Bat
    India one-day debut: v Pakistan, Gujranwala, 1989
    Test best batting: 241 not out v Australia, Sydney, 2004
    One-day best batting: 186 not out v New Zealand, November, 1999

    Sachin's records
    Sachin, along with team-mate Rahul Dravid, holds the world record for a one-day partnership, putting on 331 against New Zealand in Hyderabad in November 1999
    He was the first ever player to score more than 10,000 one-day runs
    No-one has scored more World Cup runs than Sachin - 1752 in 33 matches
    Sachin is the fifth highest Test run scorer of all time with 9470 runs in 114 matches
    He's the second leading century maker in Test cricket with 33 - only his boyhood hero Sunil Gavaskar has more (34)



    FEATURES ::
    Michael Vaughan points out the field he wants
    How to set a one-day cricket field


    FEATURES ::
    South Africa's Andrew Hall on bowling those yorkers
    Bowling at the death with Andrew Hall


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