Sachin Tendulkar becomes the most-capped Cricket player

August 2, 2010 10:48 PM

Today, Sachin Tendulkar is playing in his 169th Cricket Test Match. With this, he goes past Australia's Steve Waugh.

Already holding the record for most runs (13000+) and most centuries (48 and counting) in Test cricket (plus many other records), the 37-year old cricketer is not showing any signs of retiring anytime soon. In the previous game, he scored a double century and batted for almost 10 hours. A few months ago, he broke an 'impossible record' in the shorter format of the game.

This record is a reminder of the "ache of endurance" (he played his first Test match in 1989), as one journalist put it.

What's Cricket? This.

posted by vidur (48 comments total)

But no one beats Steve Waugh for strategy and leadership and delivering when the team needed him.
posted by MT at 10:51 PM on August 2, 2010

...and for a little while, there was talk of a special limited edition biography of the Little Master made with resin mixed with his blood, however, he has dismissed those rumours.
posted by doublehappy at 11:00 PM on August 2, 2010

...of course, I linked the same article twice. Here is the correct 'dismissed' link.
posted by doublehappy at 11:02 PM on August 2, 2010

Statistically, he's remarkably closely matched by Ricky Ponting, who's behind him, but two years younger.
http://www.cricket365.com/doug_saxby_blogs/story/6267369/Test-cricket-s-great-batting-rivalry

Without really knowing anything about either of them, Tendulkar seems the better bloke.
posted by wilful at 11:18 PM on August 2, 2010

I prefer this description of cricket. Or this one.

But yes, Tendulkar. A friend of mine in high school had with the hugest crush on him. High school was a long time ago. I'm amazed that he is still playing (and still playing so well)
posted by kjs4 at 11:21 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

whoops with teh formatting.

I'd prefer to watch Tendulkar score a century, but Ricky's the better ODI player.
posted by wilful at 11:22 PM on August 2, 2010

Oh and pre-emptively, if you don't like or don't want to understand cricket, thanks, noted, whatever, I'll make sure to come and plant a poo in your next thread.
posted by wilful at 11:24 PM on August 2, 2010

Way to go onto the front foot, wilful.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:30 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Awesome player. Amazing statistic.

It's really a shame that international Test cricket is getting run down in favour of 20/20 and ODI (not to mention the IPL) as young cricketers aren't going to have the opportunity to play anywhere near as many multiple-day games. Tendulkar's, and Murali's, and Warne's records are just going to last and last.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 11:46 PM on August 2, 2010

And he turned down easy money playing Twenty20 for Middlesex to be with his family. Always pleasing when cricket gods turn out to be nice human beings too.
posted by Abiezer at 11:48 PM on August 2, 2010

I doubt he needs the money.

In a market as big as India (for starters) his endorsement of any product must be worth crores.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:51 PM on August 2, 2010

I doubt he needs the money.

When he was young, Tendulkar would practice for hours on end in the nets. If he became exhausted, Achrekar would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps, and the bowler who dismissed Tendulkar would get the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Tendulkar now considers the 13 coins he won then as some of his most prized possessions. -Wikipedia

Apparently he does.
posted by doublehappy at 11:57 PM on August 2, 2010

You really think the monetary value of those coins is what he treasures?
posted by kmz at 12:06 AM on August 3, 2010

Is this as big a deal as the bowler who just retired? Random Australians on the street complained to me about that guy (he had maybe a side bowl or something?).
posted by klangklangston at 12:23 AM on August 3, 2010

Klang: they both hold records: Tendulkar for most runs, and most appearances; Muralitharan for most wickets. Those are the most important career records, and they hold the all-time, worldwide records. So yes, both are big deals.

Muralitharan is controversial because he allegedly bends his arm when he bowls, which would be cheating - but long analysis has seemingly determined that his action is legitimate.

They're both geniuses at what they do; Tendulkar is much less controversial though, and generally admired worldwide, I would say.
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:32 AM on August 3, 2010

You really think the monetary value of those coins is what he treasures?

He's probably just nostalgic for a time when 1 Rupee coins didn't carry cola advertisements.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:33 AM on August 3, 2010

It's really a shame that international Test cricket is getting run down in favour of 20/20 and ODI (not to mention the IPL) as young cricketers aren't going to have the opportunity to play anywhere near as many multiple-day games.

Everything I've seen recently suggests it's most likely that ODI will become extinct in favour of 20/20.
posted by rodgerd at 12:41 AM on August 3, 2010

I've seen Tendulkar bat twice, neither time was it one of his most awesome, but both times it was lovely to watch.
There aren't many opponents the Aussies will habitually give a standing ovation to.
posted by bystander at 12:41 AM on August 3, 2010

Yep, I think Murali's action came under enough sustained scrutiny and passed muster; perhaps Tendulkar, as well as attracting less controversy as IJ says, is the slightly bigger deal by dint of being Indian and thus having a much larger base of devoted fans than Sri Lankan Muralitharan, but either way both have been outstanding exponents of the game. You sort of expect the giants to be figures from the past, an age of black and white photos and funny facial hair, but here we have players of exceptional skill and style walking among us.
posted by Abiezer at 12:41 AM on August 3, 2010

Wait, wasn't Gavaskar known as The Little Master, not Tendulkar?
posted by infini at 12:50 AM on August 3, 2010

I saw Tendulkar and a couple of the other Indian players at lunchtime a couple of years ago in McDonalds. (Saw them through the front window, I don't eat there.) Told an Indian colleague about it when I came back. She squealed.
posted by Wolof at 12:59 AM on August 3, 2010

And on non-preview, rodgerd is right.
posted by Wolof at 1:00 AM on August 3, 2010

I hope the extinction of 50-overs ODIs makes room for double-innings ODI.
posted by Gyan at 1:35 AM on August 3, 2010

Wait, wasn't Gavaskar known as The Little Master, not Tendulkar?

I remember back in the late 90s, early 2000s Tendulkar was called "The Genius", but he has had a lot of names. Pretty sure he's "The Little Master" too.
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 1:40 AM on August 3, 2010

Sunil Gavaskar was 'Suni'.

Double innings ODI would be awful. In fact, google "Cricket Max", which was awful (although well ahead of its time).
posted by doublehappy at 2:01 AM on August 3, 2010

Cricket Max was 10-overs innings (and featured 4 stumps!!), as per the Wiki.

An ODI featuring two innings of unequal length would be great. The problem with the present format is that if the team batting second loses its way early, then the match becomes boring. Also, the middle overs drag. In dual innings, most of the batting will be done by the top-order, and bowlers get a chance to rest, Mainly, the toss advantage will somewhat dissipate as far as the pitch and light conditions are concerned. And in event of rain interruption, it will be easier to conclude a truncated contest. And there's the slim possibility that it would generate some interest among new viewers for the Test Match format.
posted by Gyan at 2:18 AM on August 3, 2010

An ODI featuring two innings of unequal length would be great.

How would that work? Presumably not batting till everyone is out?
posted by Infinite Jest at 2:33 AM on August 3, 2010

My favourite article on Tendulkar still is this Bhogle piece on him before he emerged on the national and international scenes. It has gems such as this:

Achrekar recalls, "When [Tendulkar] first came to my net four-five years ago, he looked just like any other boy and I didn't take him seriously. Then one day I saw him bat in an adjacent net. He was trying to hit every ball but I noted that he was middling all of them. Some time later he got a fifty and a friend of mine, who was umpiring that game, came and told me that this boy would play for India. I laughed at him and said that there were so many boys like him in my net. But he insisted. 'Mark my words, he will play for India.' My friend is dead now but I'm waiting to see if his prophecy comes true.'

I've been following cricket since 1986. Except for Australasia Cup 1986, I don't think I've ever seen the Indian team without Tendulkar on-board. (Or rather, I don't bother following the team if Tendulkar is not playing)

Then there is this:

He is not perfect yet. Far from it. In fact, I would say he is not even halfway there. He still has a lot of faults, particularly while driving through the on, which is an indicator of a class batsman.

A measure of Tendulkar's greatness is that he's now considered one of the masters the cover-drive cricket has ever known.

The backstory behind that piece is rich with detail as well.

Now, I don't expect other cricket-playing nations to root for India in next year's cricket World Cup, but if you're looking for a team to cheer on, do consider Tendulkar's team: this is his last chance. Perhaps no other sports-legend currently playing in any other sports has ever gone without getting the top award in that sports.
posted by the cydonian at 2:37 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Tendulkar, the "graceful cobra" (as he is known in India) is almost certainly the best strokesman since Bradman.

Millions of fans like me have gasped in pleasure watching him gently throttle a ball up silly leg, or thwack a delivery off cover. And, he holds the record for the most googlies dribbled on a maiden (against Pakistan in 2002).

People who don't understand cricket are just missing out on his genius - and if you haven't seen his reverse short leg, you shouldn't even be commenting in this thread.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 2:42 AM on August 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

It would be like a limited-overs version of a Test.

Let's say the split is 30/20. Team A wins the toss and elects to bat first. They also elect to bat for 30 overs. Team B decides to try to slog their way ahead, so they elect to bat for 20 overs. Now, Team A has 20 overs available in their 2nd innings, and Team B has 30 overs in theirs to catch up. The innings don't span across the two sessions; each is a new innings. Only the scores are added up; just like a test.
posted by Gyan at 2:47 AM on August 3, 2010

Abiezer - he slightly bigger deal by dint of being Indian and thus having a much larger base of devoted fans than Sri Lankan Muralitharan

And just how devoted that would be is in evidence here. Note that this has been since debunked as an exaggeration and/or hoax, but the fact that this grotesque idea was taken at face value by so many people tells us something about the stature of Tendulkar in India.

I think the best part about Tendulkar's recent return to form is that it has silenced all the folks who were wondering whether it was time for him to retire during his form and health slump just two years ago. The guy is amazing.
posted by vanar sena at 3:01 AM on August 3, 2010

That "Cricket Explained" link is the most helpful writeup on Cricket I've seen to date, truly excellent! Thanks!
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:02 AM on August 3, 2010

...he holds the record for the most googlies dribbled on a maiden

Wait, I thought this was a sports thread?
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:08 AM on August 3, 2010

It's his capacity to adjust that staggers. Most good players can go for their shots a bit more or a bit less, but even putting away the hook can completely disrupt their batting: as soon as they stop playing their game they are lost. Sachin is different: he can alter his game to suit the conditions like no-one else I've ever seen. Watch the wagon-wheel change when the short boundaries are square rather than straight. Getting caught at short mid-on? - put away the on-drive for a year. Watching him work out how to play the WACA (Perth) in 1992 was even more impressive than his big red ink century in Sydney earlier in the tour. That he continues to be a craftsman rather than an artist (I'd certainly rather watch VVS Laxman bat than Tendulkar) does not diminish him in the slightest.

Long may his (cough) Indian summer continue.
posted by hawthorne at 6:32 AM on August 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Just for the sake of argument, nope, it was Gavaskar (and yes he was also known as Sunny as a nickname for Sunil, his given name)

reference here,

Google search results here
posted by infini at 6:42 AM on August 3, 2010

...he holds the record for the most googlies dribbled on a maiden

Wait, I thought this was a sports thread?

Wait till you meet the silly wicket
posted by infini at 6:43 AM on August 3, 2010

Sachin is an awesome player! Enough said.
posted by VickyR at 8:22 AM on August 3, 2010

I have only played cricket once. Not so easy.
posted by onecopywriter at 12:00 PM on August 3, 2010

...he holds the record for the most googlies dribbled on a maiden

In India, they say "maidaan", as in "Sachin would spend hours and hours on the maidaan, practicing his strokes."

So enthusiastic was he, one of his favourite sayings was "As long as there's grass on the wicket, it's ready for playing."
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:24 PM on August 3, 2010

A brave man once said:

In India, they say "maidaan", as in "Sachin would spend hours and hours on the maidaan, practicing his strokes."

So enthusiastic was he, one of his favourite sayings was "As long as there's grass on the wicket, it's ready for playing."

...and then he was killed by Indian cricket fans.
posted by doublehappy at 1:41 PM on August 3, 2010

That's OK; I'll just distract them by waving around the ball with which Kapil Dev passed Sir Richard Hadlee's #1 ranking for test wickets...

(I just have to get hold of it first...)
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:59 PM on August 3, 2010

I saw Tendulkar and a couple of the other Indian players at lunchtime a couple of years ago in McDonalds

Here in Sydney there's an Indian restaurant on Parramatta Road in Stanmore where Tendulkar once came to eat. You know it because the newspaper photograph of him shaking hands with the owner is laminated and stuck on the front door; there's an enormous photograph of him taking a wicket on the wall, there's a signed, carved bat in a glass case, and a whole Shrine Of Tendulkar taking up the space where two tables could go.

It's near my house. The dal's good too.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 4:11 PM on August 3, 2010

Here in Sydney there's an Indian restaurant on Parramatta Road in Stanmore where Tendulkar once came to eat.

Name of the restaurant shrine? You know, for a pilgrimage.
posted by vidur at 4:38 PM on August 3, 2010

Here in Sydney there's an Indian restaurant on Parramatta Road in Stanmore where Tendulkar once came to eat.

I know the one.

There's also one on Enmore Rd, that has framed photos of the owners shaking hands with Brett Lee, and I think a few others with some Indian cricketers.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:09 PM on August 3, 2010

[Googles] Surjit's, at 215 Parramatta Road Annandale.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:25 PM on August 3, 2010

They also have a Steve Waugh bar!
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:37 PM on August 3, 2010

*facepalm* Surjit's, of course. I've been to their CBD restaurant.
posted by vidur at 5:47 PM on August 3, 2010

That's OK; I'll just distract them by waving around the ball with which Kapil Dev passed Sir Richard Hadlee's #1 ranking for test wickets...

THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:21 AM on August 4, 2010