Sachin humbled by affection across Australia

The affection showered on Sachin Tendulkar across Australia during the current tour has made him feel humble.

Generally, the sentiment is that Australia must defeat India, but Sachin should get his 100th International hundred.

"In the past, too, people have always wished me well... It's a humbling experience... That the prime minister (Julia Gillard) herself took the lead has been touching,"

Sachin added: "I consider myself fortunate that I've got well-wishers all over... I appreciate that they want me to do well."

When one such well-wisher walked up to him in the hotel here and asked if he required "anything," Sachin answered: "Your good wishes will do."

Sachin needn't have mentioned it, for it's a given.

Bradman museum to erect Tendulkar statue

The authorities of the Bradman Museum in Bowral are planning to build a statue of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar alongside Aussie legend, Sir Don Bradman.

The great Australian had once said that Tendulkar bats like him and so the authorities felt that the Indian is the only candidate who can have a statue besides the Aussie great.

To execute the plan, the museum authorities have been repeatedly requesting Tendulkar to visit Bowral -- the city where Bradman was brought up and learnt his cricket since the age of four. But the maestro is believed to have refused the invitation saying, it's not possible during this tour and he has to come to this part of the world at another time.

Though the legendary Aussie batsman was born in Cootamundra, which is a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Bowral, he is known as the Boy from Bowral because he spent most of his time there.

The Aussie legend used to practise by throwing a golf ball at a water tank in Bowral. Sir Don once revealed that he worked on his concentration and timing by doing that. On entering the museum, a visitor is also allowed to practise with a stick by throwing a golf ball against a makeshift water tank.

Walking around the village, one will get to see two houses where he used to live and a beautiful picture of a cricket ground which is called the Bradman Oval. The cricket museum along with hall of fame -- which was inaugurated last year by Sunil Gavaskar -- cannot be missed either.

Focus on winning not 100th ton: Tendulkar

Millions across the globe have been waiting for his historic 100th international century but Sachin Tendulkar says he would prefer to just enjoy the game without thinking much about the hype surrounding the landmark.

"Well, it is easier said than done. It is just a number. But yes, I mean, there has been lot of hype around that and I want to enjoy cricket and I think that is important"

"In the series, obviously focus would be on enjoying cricket and winning," the iconic batsman said.

Tendulkar scored his 99th international century in Nagpur against South Africa in March last year during the World Cup.

Incidentally, his last Test hundred was also against the Proteas at Cape Town in January, last year.

India are currently playing a four-Test series against Australia with the second match heavily tilted in favour of the hosts after the second day's play here.

Asked how he prepares for a match, Tendulkar said his preparations start much before the game.

"I just pack my bags on the eve of the match. For me, the preparation starts may be a week before the game, if there is not much time between the matches, then you equally need to switch off and switch on before the game. So it depends on the time I have before a game," he said.

Tendulkar has broken almost all records in international cricket and the champion batsman says it has been a fantastic journey and his love of the game remains the same.

"I don't remember picking up a cricket bat the first time. I must have been 4 or 5 years old, like just any other child in India", Tendulkar said.

"It is fun to pick up a bat and hit the ball as hard as possible and that passion and love for cricket grew as time went by and it has been a fantastic journey and (I am) still madly in love with the sport."

Asked about his first experience of playing international cricket, Tendulkar said: "It was quite an experience to remember. Well, I got out after scoring 15 runs and thought, probably, I was not good enough to play at this level and I was just hoping that I get another opportunity."

He has been playing international cricket for the last two decades but Tendulkar said the most defining moment of his life was the phase when his name first started appearing in the newspapers after his performance in school-level cricket.

"I was about 11 years old. I scored some runs. I scored 24 runs in my first match and then followed that up with a couple of performances, nothing great, but my name came in the newspaper couple of times," Tendulkar recollected.

"When I saw that, it changed everything. The first hundred that I scored changed everything and I would say that phase was the most defining moment of my life."

Sachin Tendulkar's wax replica inaugurated in Mumbai

A Tendulkar statue was inaugurated on Tuesday at the new state-of-art gallery, an initiative by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Sahara.

However, this wasn’t an easy task for sculptor Susanta Ray.

When he was told to make a wax statue of Sachin Tendulkar for the newly-inaugurated World Cup Cricket Gallery at Shahaji Raje Krida Sankul, Andheri Sports Complex, he didn’t give up.

Unlike Madame Tussaud’s team, he didn’t get the exact measurements of Tendulkar’s body to work on the replica. He had to depend on Internet, through which he developed a rough idea before heading on with the task.

“It was difficult since I didn’t have the measurements. I’ve never met him. I relied on the Internet and other stuff to bring this to life,” Ray was quoted in DNA.

When one looks at the replica, it looks as much as the original, a bat in a hand and a helmet in the other.

All this doesn’t stop him from making more replicas of Tendulkar. Ray says that he will present the Master Blaster after he scores his 100th ton.

“I hope he does it soon. I want to gift it to him as soon as he achieves the milestone,” Ray said as he stood at one side watching visitors admire his hard work.

Previously he had made sculptures of Sourav Ganguly, Ronaldinho and Rabindranath Tagore. He has even presented Diego Maradona a replica of the legend himself, when he had visited Kolkata.

“It looks so real. Susanta has done a good job. It is better than the one at Madame Tussauds,” Aditya Thackeray, the chief of Yuva Sena and the son of Uddhav Thackeray, who was looking after the construction of the art gallery.

Sachin Tendulkar seeks SCG inspiration in ton quest

Sachin Tendulkar's search for his elusive 100th international century fittingly takes him to the Sydney Cricket Ground for Tuesday's second Test against Australia, an arena celebrating its own Test ton.

The "Little Master" came close to achieving the unique feat with his fluent 73 in the first innings of last week's Melbourne Test, where India succumbed to a 122-run defeat.

But the SCG, hosting its 100th Test, is one of 38-year-old Tendulkar's happy hunting grounds. He has scored three of his 51 Test hundreds there in seven innings and averages an incredible 221.33 at the ground.

Tendulkar has been stranded on 99 Test and one-day international centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March, but the odds are stacked in his favour in Sydney this week.

"You really think cosmos, the Almighty and the Hindu gods were going to allow him to score it (100th ton) anywhere but the SCG?" SCG Trust chairman Rodney Cavalier said in half-jest. "These things are preordained."

Tendulkar's returns at the SCG make for a compelling argument: 148 not out (1992), 241 not out (2004) and 154 not out (2008).

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that based on Tendulkar's batting form in Melbourne he is "guaranteed" to get his missing century in Australia.

"He looked very solid at the MCG on a pitch which had a fair bit of help for the quicks. His feet have moved superbly, which is an indication that his mind is thinking the right way," Ganguly said.

"I can guarantee you that if he keeps batting like this he will make a major impact on the remaining three Tests and probably get past that magic landmark in this country."