Cricket fans salute Sachin Tendulkar

Joggers pass a sand sculpture of two hundred cricket bats with a message "The God of Cricket" which has been created by Indian sand artist Sudersan Pattnaik on Golden Sea Beach at Puri, some 65kms from Bhubaneswar on November 13, 2013, ahead of the final Test match of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.  Sachin Tendulkar takes to the pitch on November 14,  for his 200th and final Test match, set to fixate a billion fans as they bid farewell to a cricketing legend.  (AFP)
 

Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, a fan of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, paints his face with the colours of the Indian national flag ahead of a cricket match in Kolkata on November 8, 2013. Chowdhury, who was attended more than 300 international matches, is widely recognised for showing up at every home match the Indian team plays with his entire body painted in the national colours of India.  Sachin Tendulkar takes to the pitch on November 14,  for his 200th and final Test match, set to fixate a billion fans as they bid farewell to a cricketing legend. (AFP)

Indian cricket fan Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary waves his country's national flag as Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar waves from the team bus ahead of a cricket match in Kolkata on November 8, 2013. Chowdhury, who was attended more than 300 international matches, is widely recognised for showing up at every home match the Indian team plays with his entire body painted in the national colours of India. Sachin Tendulkar takes to the pitch on November 14,  for his 200th and final Test match, set to fixate a billion fans as they bid farewell to a cricketing legend. (AFP)
 

Vehicles journey past a huge banner saluting Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the facade of a shop in Mumbai on November 13, 2013. Sachin Tendulkar is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai from November 14, exactly 24 years after he began his record-breaking career.  (AFP)
 

An Indian youth walks past a huge poster saluting cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the facade of a shop in Mumbai on November 13, 2013. Sachin Tendulkar is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai from November 14, exactly 24 years after he began his record-breaking career.  (AFP)
 

An Indian pedestrian walks past an advertising hoarding featuring a charicature of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai on November 13, 2013. Sachin Tendulkar is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai from November 14, exactly 24 years after he began his record-breaking career.  (AFP)
 

 Indian artist Ranjit Dahiya works on a mural of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the wall of a sports club building in Mumbai on November 8, 2013. Sachin Tendulkar is set for an emotional farewell when he plays his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai from November 14, exactly 24 years after he began his record-breaking career.  (AFP)
 

Emotions run high as Tendulkar farewell begins

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar took to the pitch Thursday for his 200th and final Test, bidding farewell to his adoring public and basking in tributes from fellow players, politicians and fans.

The 40-year-old is ending an international career spanning nearly a quarter of a century during which he became the all-time leading Test and one-day batsman and the only man to score 100 international centuries.

The end of the 'Little Master', who has almost god-like status in his cricket-mad country, has been met with nationwide nostalgia for his sporting feats since his international debut in 1989.

Tendulkar, who led the team out onto the field in his home city of Mumbai, said the last 20 years had been "marked by some of the most challenging, exhilarating, poignant and memorable moments of my life".

"The game has seen so much change over the last two decades -- from advances in technology, new formats, yet the basic spirit and passion surrounding the game remains the same," he wrote in a front-page Hindustan Times piece.

Excitement ahead of the game has been building since he announced his intention to retire last month, with highlights of his innings and interviews looping on news channels.

"He's not just a cricketer. For me he's an ideal son, an ideal friend. The biggest thing about him is his humility," said fan Himanshu Kapadia, queueing for entry to the stadium with his two sons.

"It's a piece of history for me," he said of the farewell match.

Many fans have expressed disappointment that only 5,000 tickets went on sale for the general public despite the 32,000 seats in the Wankhede stadium, many of which are reserved for VIPs such as sponsors and cricket club members.

Such was the demand for tickets for the game against the West Indies that the main website selling them crashed within minutes of sales opening on Monday.
Footage broadcast on Indian television showed Tendulkar leading the team out to the pitch and the toss taking place with a specially minted coin bearing his image on one side.

"We will be very fortunate if we get another Sachin," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the toss. "So it is important that we learn from the great man."
Since 16-year-old Tendulkar made his debut in Karachi in 1989, he has racked up an astonishing 15,847 runs in 199 Tests, helping India win the 2011 World Cup and reach the top of the world rankings.

On the eve of his final match, which extends his record for Test appearances to 200, he thanked his fans on Twitter "from the bottom of my heart for 24 years of support".

Tendulkar's wheelchair-bound mother Rajni is due to watch her son bat for the first time after a special ramp was built for her at the south Mumbai stadium, despite her previous fears that her presence at matches could bring him bad luck.

Along with Tendulkar murals, banners and billboards that have sprung up in the countdown, Mumbai's tattoo parlours have reportedly seen a spike in requests for designs of the sporting icon.

"Since it was for Sachin Sir, I hardly felt any pain," Rikin Dedhia told The Times of India after a smiling Tendulkar was etched on his upper arm.

Cricketing greats Brian Lara and Shane Warne have also flown in for the farewell game at Wankhede, where a huge security force has been deployed for the next five days.

"Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of my generation and it will be a privilege to be in Mumbai," wrote Australia's Warne, who is commentating on the match.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, on a visit to New Delhi, called him "absolutely an all-time great" and said he was an example and inspiration to cricket-lovers.

Father-of-two Tendulkar has tended to avoid the limelight off the pitch and has steered clear of controversies, earning a reputation for modesty and self-control. (AFP)

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