India's playing XI from Sachin Tendulkar's final international match - where are they now?

Arguably the greatest batter to have graced the game of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar bid adieu from the game on November 16, 2013, at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Incidentally, Team India is playing their World Cup semi-final clash against New Zealand at the same venue currently underway.

Tendulkar is the holder of all the major batting records, scaled unseen heights in the international game and is still considered a demi-god in India.

Emerging as a 16-year-old prodigy, Tendulkar made his international debut way back in 1989 and remained at the top of the game for twenty-four years.

Coming to Tendulkar's final international match, it was West Indies who batted first and was skittled out for a below-par 182. The Indian bowlers, led by an inspired spell from debutant Mohammed Shami, never allowed the Windies to settle down and that led to their downfall.

India scored a massive 495 runs in their first innings, riding on a brilliant century from Cheteshwar Pujara and fluent half-centuries from Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. For the one last time, the Wankhede crowd was treated to some exceptional strokeplay as Tendulkar struck 12 fours en route to his knock of 74.

The innings was decorated with some of his iconic shots before edging one length delivery from Narsingh Deonarine straight to Darren Sammy at slip. Tendulkar didn't get an opportunity to bat again as India bowled out Windies for 187 in the second innings, to secure a massive victory by an innings and 126 runs.

That said, here is a look at India's playing XI from Sachin Tendulkar's final international game and where are they now:

Openers- Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay were part of Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test. (Pic: BCCI)

It was Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan who opened the innings during Tendulkar's final Test. While Vijay scored a stroke-filled 43, Dhawan also looked in good touch en route to a quickfire 33 off 28 deliveries.

Vijay last played for India in a Test match back in 2018. With the emergence of young openers like Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill, Vijay was sidelined and never got to play for India again. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan has been out of the Indian team for a year and a half. A string of low scores and the emergence of Shubman Gill played a part in his ouster. He is currently the captain of the Punjab Kings in the IPL and is one of the most integral parts of the franchise.

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Middle order- Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni (c&wk)

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been the pillars of Indian cricket across formats. (Pic: BCCI)

Pujara is an established batter in the Test format and is an integral part of India's journey in the longest format. Pujara continues to play for his state Saurashtra in the domestic circuit and has plied his trade in County Champions over the years.

Superlatives are not enough to describe the impact Sachin Tendulkar has on the game. Besides his incredible record, he was like an institution as far as batsmanship was concerned.

Tendulkar has been enjoying his time off the field, with occasional involvement with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Arguably the greatest modern-day batter, Virat Kohli has gone on from strength to strength and has been the perfect successor to Sachin Tendulkar.

Since his debut, Kohli holds the record for most runs in international cricket along with the most centuries by a country mile. Kohli has been in a stupendous form in the ongoing World Cup and is the highest run-getter currently.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma scored a magnificent century on his debut but his Test career tapered off before finding the lost sheen after opening the batting. He is a bonafide legend in the white ball formats and is currently the all-format captain of the Indian team.

Rohit has been a trendsetter as far as attacking batting is concerned and has taken the World Cup by storm with his whirlwind batting.

One of the greatest leaders to have graced the game, MS Dhoni called it a day from international after India's semi-final loss in the 2019 World Cup semi-final. He is still an active member in the IPL and is expected to lead the Chennai Super Kings in the 2024 edition.

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Bowlers- Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were in the initial part of their careers during Tendulkar's farewell match. (Pic: AP)

One of the finest spinners of the modern generation, Ravichandran Ashwin is currently the No. 1 ranked Test bowler and his incredible numbers in the longest format have already made him a legend in this format. He is also a part of the Indian squad in the World Cup but just made a solitary appearance in the opening game against Australia.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has fallen off the pecking order as far as the Indian fast-bowling cartel is concerned. He is still putting in the hard yards in the nets and keeping himself match-fit if and when the opportunity arises again. Having emerged as a swing prodigy, Bhuvneshwar played an integral part for India in several wins across formats.

Meanwhile, Pragyan Ojha announced his retirement from all forms of the game in February 2020. The left-arm orthodox spinner had established himself as India's premier spinner in Tests until the emergence of Ashwin and Jadeja, which limited his opportunities.

The final name on the team list was Mohammed Shami, who has been on a wicket-taking spree in the ongoing World Cup. He has already bagged 16 wickets in 5 games. Shami is also one of India's premier bowlers in the longest format. He has been a great asset to any team he has played for.