From then on, this man has grown from strength to strength, cunningly adapting and improving his technique to suit the needs. The Indian batting mainly revolved around the four stalwarts for the next decade or so and he played a major role in making India a global threat. A perfect gentleman, his on-field aggression with the bat and his on-field cool demeanor fetched him millions of fans as he became India's proudest possession. You ask any child with a stick playing cricket in a dirty street,"What do you want to become?". The reply was prompt. "I want to become like Sachin". Such was his name and fame that people started considering each and every run that Sachin scores as their own. A happy Sachin, a happy India. Yes, he was India's child born to play cricket. Apart from cricket, Sachin has also left behind a rich legacy that is so hard to find in modern cricket. The so-called 'gentleman game' is rich with sledging and abusing now. But Sachin, considered to be one of the greatest ambassadors of cricket never showed his emotions on the field as he led a perfectly controversy-free career. As Kapil Dev rightly said, "The way he has played cricket over the years, he has inspired a generation to play cricket".
With the 100th century also coming his way, there was nothing more to achieve and Indian team was in the hands of a bunch of talented youngsters. Sachin announced his retirement from ODIs on 23 December,2012. The whole world payed their tributes for a champion who redefined the game with his sublime stroke making. By the time this magazine comes out, he could have retired from tests as well but the legacy he has left behind, the service he has done to cricket, his charisma will stand tall for the future generations to speak about. His quirky problem with the sight screen, his occasional leg breaks, his boyish smile, his bullet straight drive, his clumsy running will all be missed but Sachin, as a person and a player will keep playing his shots in our hearts forever.
