RIP Shane Warne: Sachin Tendulkar pays emotional tribute to his great rival and friend

After the death of former Australian cricketer Shane Warne, tributes are coming in from all corners of the cricket world. His great rival on the field and good friend off it, Sachin Tendulkar, put out his emotional reaction to the untimely demise of the cricket legend.

Sachin Tendulkar on Shane Warne

Sachin Tendulkar offered his condolences on social media and, via way of sharing a rare photo, stated that he became stunned after listening to the information of Warne's passing away. He also said that he's missing him now.

Cherishing the moments he had with him, Tendulkar added that there was never a dull moment with Warne around, on and off the field. Sachin also mentioned the special bond that the late Aussie cricketer had with India and Indian fans.

Tendulkar and Warne shared a great bond

Significantly, Tendulkar and Warne were, arguably, the two greatest cricketers of their era. They came face to face many times and also played together occasionally. The two icons of the game, the Australian Spin King and the Little Master of India, shared one of the most delightful cricketing rivalries.

While Tendulkar was the most technically gifted batsman of the modern era, Warne's leg-spin wizardry left many bamboozled. With the Australian legend no longer with us, here's looking at the iconic rivalry he had with Sachin over the years.

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Tendulkar - Comeback king

Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne had great on-field battles throughout their careers

Chennai saw a breathtaking showdown in 1998 when Shane Warne dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for just four runs in the first innings of the opening Test in a hugely-anticipated 3-match series. However, Tendulkar returned with vengeance in the second innings, quashing all dreams of a rare Australian win on Indian soil.

He punished the entire bowling lineup, including Warne, scoring a memorable 155 off 191 deliveries.

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Out, but not soon enough

The same year, India and Australia locked horns in Kanpur again, where Warne took Tendulkar's wicket, but not before he'd scored 100 off 89 balls. India won the match by six wickets.

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Breaking the partnership

Adelaide saw India chasing Australia's challenging first-innings score of 441 runs, with Sachin Tendulkar coming in to bat after his team had scored 90 runs, and lost two wickets.

The then India captain quickly got about building a partnership with Sourav Ganguly, but Shane Warne had other ideas. His delivery got Tendulkar out at 61, with Justin Langer taking the catch. India went on to lose the match as the batting order collapsed.

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IPL matchup - The saga continues

Warne and Tendulkar's rivalry went beyond international cricket to the IPL. Shane Warne captained Rajasthan Royals while Sachin Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians. In 2009, the Aussie legend took Tendulkar's wicket through lbw, after the Little Master had scored 40 off 30 balls.