Generally very measured in his words despite his monumental accomplishments, Sachin Tendulkar has let word out that the next peak he is seeking to climb is Mount 15K. Almost as if egging on his ageing body, the Bandra Bomber says he wants to see 15,000 runs against his name before hanging up his Test match boots.
Sachin needs another 2,227 runs to get there. Even if he can keep his current average of 50 going, it means he will have to play another 45 innings. Roughly about 27 Tests. Sachin is now 36. Will he last that long? Will his body take the pressure? Will Twenty20-mad BCCI schedule so many Test matches?
Also read: ‘Quiet, humble, a great player, and a great man’
churumuri 
I dont think he can cross the 15K barrier …hopefully he will realize that number is just that …a number….. Retire with dignity when the time comes and you are worth emulating
LikeLike
Tendulkar’s staggering mountain of runs in both Tests & ODIs defy any rational logic.
A champion on the run-summit ; his ability to continuously define new goals to motivate himself remain a lesson for any die-hard professional in any discipline of sports. Sachin has taken the Sanskrit word “Saadhana” to a new level altogether.
Wish that he achieves both his dreams of scoring 15000 runs in tests & winning the world cup in 2011 as well, before he retires. Both are pretty difficult tasks & need the able support of his team mates as well as encouragement from the media & huge numbers of fans.
Hope that as cricket fans, we are not driven by our impatience with occasional failures , which often cloud our ability to spot the truly great
from the mediocre & also-ran.
LikeLike
He should realize that there is life and enjoyment beyond the cricket fields as well. And the ‘cricket’ needs him too beyond the fields. Be brave Sachin, hang up the boots!!!
LikeLike
That really sums up Tendulkar, always self centered.
How many of those runs were scored against the India??
Did he ever aim to play an innings for Team and nation???
Did he win a single match?? does he plan to win one??
Will he aim to help in the effort of Champoions trophy, a world cup???
No he makes those occation to compile some more runs for himself.
LikeLike
Sachin will only retire when the money he makes through advertisements/endorsments dries up.
LikeLike
I hope this doesn’t end in a Kapil Dev-esque long dragged out career where a one-legged one-armed Sachin finally drags himself to 15000 runs at a 40 average..at the age of 50 or so….
No, I think the man knows better than any poster on churumuri what his body is capable of and when to call it a day.
27,000 international runs does give you an idea about such things….
LikeLike
@Vinay and Salty,
Agree. 15K is a tall order. But if Sachin can find it in him to perform at that level for 2 more years, he is one fo the few 36 year olds who can pull it off. It takes immense dedication to perform at that level for 2 decades.
I would love for him to get there, but seems unlikely. If it becomes unlikely, hope Sachin realises that before he becomes a liability to the team. India stands to gain a lot if he can get to 15K in 2+ years, but we should not let that be the sole reason he makes the team — brings back painful memories of a Kapil Dev dragging himself to better Hadlee while being carted all over the grounds and India suffered..
@Khan,
You are letting your personal dislike for the person dictate your opinion. His records speak for his immense talent and to what he means to India. He has won matches single handedly. He sure has had failures, but he is undoubtedly one of the greats in Tests and ODIs. Remember he was the only Indian who made it to Bradman’s ‘World Best XI’ ?
He can rest on his laurels and have a plush life with the money he has amassed ; but he decides to set a tougher goal at the sunset of his career to see if he has what it takes. He will be a true great, a hero , no matter whether he gets there or not..
LikeLike
Well self belief is admirable. I respect that and extend good wishes to him.
However, Sachin need not prove self to any; but to self. And as long as he believe ‘he can do it’ so be it.
I think it is fair to leave that to Sachin but with a ‘caveat’: In his quest he (Sachin) should be mindful that he doesn’t eat up some another budding ‘Sachin’s’ place.
PI.
LikeLike
Contributing to victory is vital, writes Makarand Waingankar
Tendulkar’s contribution to winning matches takes a beating compared to Inzamam-ul- Haq and Ricky Ponting.
The yardstick obviously is how many of his centuries have been winning centuries. And how many of these centuries have been scored in the second innings of the match. This, the pundits feel relates to handling of pressure when it matters.
Inzamam’s total number of centuries is 25 but 17 of his centuries helped Pakistan win Tests and the percentage amounts to 68. Ricky Ponting’s 24 Test match-winning centuries are from a total of 38 and the winning percentage is 63 whereas though Tendulkar scored 42 Test centuries, only 16 have helped India in winning Tests. The percentage is as low as 38.
Comparisons
The most important comparison is the number of centuries scored in the second innings. Out of six centuries scored by Ponting five resulted in Australia winning Test matches. That’s 83 per cent. Inzamam had four winning matches out of six centuries — the percentage is 66 but while Tendulkar scored ten centuries, only three saw India win matches. The percentage is 30.
LikeLike
I am with Khan on Kulla’s achievement! The little one should go home and enjoy his wealth.
LikeLike
@Madhu,
I agree that 15K goal is tough for Sachin at 36 . My feeling is that his primary goal is to be match fit & ready for his last attempt at the World Cup.
Other goals like the 15K (for tests) are merely milestones in his journey towards 2011. Its obvious, as you rightly pointed out, if he falters repeatedly in the journey towards 2011 he might either retire or take those long breaks from playing ODIs.
LikeLike
@Khan,
That’s some great analysis by Waingankar. It is quite compelling. I still maintain Sachin is one of the best and his records speak for themselves. But on your point that he has ‘not been as much a match winner’ / ‘has not excelled under pressure as much as he should have’, I’ll eat crow. You have a point that I was unaware of :-) . Thanks for sharing that…
LikeLike
If enough tests are played and he remains fit Sachin will attain his target easily. Jack Hobbs scored more than 100 first class centuries after the age of 40. Bradman played cricket till the age of 48. WG Grace played first class class cricket successfully well past the age of 68.
Money has come to him because of his greatness and marketability.There are many people in this world who will give up watching cricket after he retires.Cricketers like him only appear once in a LIFETIME!
So let us ALL savour his batting because a class act like him will not appear in OUR lifetime!!!
LikeLike
I THINK SACH will score around 14000 test runs & 17000+ ODI runs with 45-46 test centuries & 44-45 ODI centuries. he will retire from ODI right after 2011 WC & in late 2011 from TEST
LikeLike
schin tendulkar 20000 runs made not old man
LikeLike
Perhaps no body thought or expected, including myself, the 4 consecutive centuries in 4 consecutive test matches sachin would score at the beginning of 2010, thus the revised projected calculation for sachin to make 15k runs & over 50 100s in test are like below:-
1. Currently he has scored 13447 test runs in 166 matches @ 55.57 with 47 100s.
So to reach 15k in test, he needs to score 1553 more runs, assuming he will score those runs @ around 53-55 avg, he will require around 30-32 innings & around 19-20 matches which is probably the exact number of test matches he is going to have if he plays till early 2012 without missing out in any test matches for INDIA from now on till early 2012, because in this year if INDIA plays according to the BCCI planning 8 more test matches in the remaining of this year(3 with SL in aug, 2 proposed against AUS in oct & 3 more at the end of this year with NZL) & then assuming 7-8 tests in 2011 after WC ends & around 3 or 4 at the early 2012 then that makes 8+7/8+3/4=18-20 tests, just over 1500 runs in say 30-31 innings with 2-3 not outs @ 53-55 avg.
2. In this 19-20 matches 1550 runs should include 4-5 100s which will make more than 50 100s automatically. So most likely he will get 50th test 100 before reaching 15k & if he reaches 15k according to the number 1 point, he will have 51 or 52 test 100s at the end of his career.
So overall he will probably finish with around 185 tests, around 300 test innings (that will be another distinc achievement if he plays that 300th test innings in his career) with 15k runs (hopefully), even if not, very close to 15k(we all pray & hope he stays fir to get those extra bit few runs to get that magical 15k & not fall short by mere 100 or 200 runs in his career due to some niggle or just because falling short in 1 or 2 matches to score those extra few more to get that 15k) with probably 51 or 52 test 100s , so surely we can hope he will get 50 test 100s atleast, if not 51 or 52 & all these will take almost 2 years from now i.e. around april 2012.
[He will surely retire from ODIs after 2011 WC but perhaps he will not retire from TESTs untill & unless his body sends him the signal not getting that passion to play cricket more as it is doing for the last 21 years almost now.]
LikeLike
Hello All
Sachin now with nearly 14600 Test runs is well within striking distance of the 15,000 Test runs and 51 centuries and would have been over 20,000 runs and 55 ODI centuries had he played all the matches.
I hate to say it…. but I still WILL…… “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!”
LikeLike
So he crossed the 15000 two weeks ago and is about to score 100 international centuries!Meanwhile he also collected the record for the highest score in ODIs – 200 not out!
Definitely the second greatest cricketer in the world after Bradman-if not THE GREATEST!!!Considering the pressure exerted by 1.2 billion fans!
LikeLike