Mumbai (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Sachin Tendulkar's 200th and final Test match, against the West Indies, is currently underway to the thrill of his fans.
With his mother in attendance for the first time in his Test career, India's foremost cricketer will retire officially next Monday as announced a month ago.
Born 40 years ago in Mumbai, Sachin Tendulkar is regarded by many as the greatest batman of all time with many world records.
He is the only batsman to have reached one hundred centuries (the number of innings in which the batsman scores one hundred runs or more) at the international level. He also has 18,426 runs in 463 one-day internationals and, prior to this match, 15,847 runs in 199 Tests.
Tendulkar's fame goes beyond the pitch. Considered a true modern Indian hero on and off the field, he is the face in ads that have extolled the country's image during its economic boom.
As a prototypical Indian male (his height - 5 ft 5 in or 1.65 m - is the average of Indian men), he has become a role model and inspiration for his young countrymen and women.