New Delhi: Although he may be injured at the moment, Sachin Tendulkar's hunger for the game remains as strong as ever.
"I have good wishes of all my friends and well wishers. It's a special moment as a 35th birthday will only come once in my life. Thanks so much for your good wishes and the celebrations here have been terrific," Tendulkar said as he celebrated his birthday with his new teammates from Mumbai Indians.
His team almost ensured Tendulkar celebrated with a win. That wasn't to be. But yet again, a year has come and gone where the halo around the name Sachin Tendulkar is stronger than ever. And why not?
The celebration with the team of the future in Australia perhaps was Tendulkar's moment of the year. When youth became the buzzword and veterans were cast by the wayside, Tendulkar stood tall.
In the finals of the tri-series Down Under, Tendulkar batted as only Tendulkar can. On the eve of the second final he urged his team to end a tumultuous tour with the catch-phrase: "Khatam karo, ghar chalo", and did just that with two impervious performances, regaining the top spot in the ICC One-day rankings in the process.
In the whites too, Tendulkar was untouched. He was India's highest run-getter in the Test series against the world champions, revered and feted at every ground across the harsh land; the master topped the averages.
But Australia wasn't all he conquered. In England too, Tendulkar dominated bowling attacks with ferocity, topping the One-day charts and making his mark in India's historic Test series victory.
Here are the cold numbers: 12 Tests, over a thousand runs at neary 62 with four centuries, and in coloured clothes, the master was just as good, with over 1500 runs in 33 games at just a shade under 50.
Injuries may have forced the master out of cricket for the moment, but be sure that 35 is just a number. It seems there's miles to go yet.
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