10 reasons why the cricket world will miss Sachin Tendulkar

7. The Prized Wicket – target of many bowlers

During most of the nineties, the little champion’s wicket was the prize that every bowler wanted. The buzz around cricketing circles at the time was that if you could knock over Sachin early, the rest would fall like a pack of cards.

It happened to come true more often than not. The infamous 1996 World Cup semi-final comes to mind. Tendulkar’s dismissal triggered a collapse that the crowds couldn’t stomach, and ultimately the match referee awarded the game to Sri Lanka, who went on to win the final.

Each time the Master Blaster fell early, India struggled to put up a decent score or stumbled during the chase. The humiliation dished out by the Lankans at the Coca Cola Trophy final in 2000 is still fresh in the minds of many.

At the NatWest Series final in 2002, Sachin was bowled by left-arm spinner Ashley Giles when India were struggling to chase down 326. Millions of viewers in India switched off their television sets – a practice they followed since the mid-nineties.

Certainly not something that the great man himself wants to remember, but despite his recent travails in Test matches, he still remains the prize catch.