A man so exceptionally gifted that the entire cricketing fraternity remained wide-eyed in awe till his last innings but so unassuming about his own aura that even the pressure of a billion expectations failed to ever distract, let alone rattle him.
That, in essence, is the legend of Sachin Tendulkar, who became much more than a iconic cricketer by the time he turned up to play his 200th and final Test which ended in Mumbai today.
Cricket was lucky to have an enduring phenomenon like Tendulkar, who didn't just inspire an entire generation but around whom, the game's administrators managed to build a huge industry which ran into billions.
The 40-year-old shouldered the burden of being a perfect role model for nearly a quarter of a century with such effortless ease that it prompted questions on whether he was even human.
Not a single misplaced word, never a hint of trouble on or off the field, not even a moment of embarrassment, Tendulkar displayed sage-like qualities despite being the most scrutinised cricketer of his era, showing a restless young generation just how to handle fame and pressure.
He was all of 16 when Tendulkar found himself in the cauldron of fire that is international cricket, that too against arch-foes Pakistan.
Up against the dreaded duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Tendulkar exhibited maturity that belied his tender age and a resolve that would make a seasoned gladiator proud.
And he never let that resolve waver in his 24 years in international cricket whether it was while dealing with the changing faces in oppositon camps or the critics, who grew in number as the years progressed.
Fans got a glimpse of that resolute personality when Tendulkar, left shattered by the loss of his father in the middle of the 1999 World Cup, joined back the team after completing the last rites and struck a hundred against Kenya.
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