Photographs: Getty Images Bikash Mohapatra
For all his records and achievements, the Master Blaster had not been part of a World Cup-winning squad, despite having played in as many as five editions (before 2011) of cricket's flagship event.
Every athlete has some regret or the other in her/his career and this would be Sachin Tendulkar's, many felt: He was not destined to be part of a World Cup-winning squad.
On April 2 this year, that changed.
India's six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium ensured that Tendulkar finally had a World Cup winner's medal. He also finished the tournament as the second-highest run scorer.
Sachin's next target: The 100th ton
The 38-year-old batsman holds almost every record in international cricket, across formats, and has, by building on his records, ensured that it will take considerable time before someone (if at all) eclipses any of them.
His next target: A 100th international ton.
Alas, no century at Lord's
Sachin has never registered a decent score at Lord's -- the 37 scored in the 2007 series is his highest Test score at the ground.
The opening Test of this series -- the 2,000th Test in history; the 100th England-India Test -- seemed the ideal stage to set the record straight.
Alas!
Tremlett had Tendulkar in a tangle
Sachin made a positive start in the first innings at Lord's, but went into an inexplicable shell, with the 6' 7" Chris Tremlett -- who former English skipper Nasser Hussain had predicted would be a handful for the 5' 5" Sachin -- having him in all sorts of trouble.
But it was Stuart Broad, who replaced Tremlett in the attack, who got Sachin. Tendulkar had made 34, three less than his all-time highest at Lord's.
Tendulkar seemed ill at ease
When Tendulkar appeared, close to the end of the first session on the final day, two things were certain: First, India would not win the Test; second, Sachin would not score a century.
Throughout his stay at the wicket, he seemed ill at ease.
Twice, Tendulkar was fortunate, but...
The television replays suggested Bowden had got it wrong.
A few overs later, Andrew Strauss put down Tendulkar at first slip (off James Anderson), dropping a regulation catch.
Two balls later, Anderson had the out of sorts Tendulkar leg before. It was the end of an ordeal at the crease.
A 100 at Lord's remains a lost dream
Every batsman who scores a century at Lord's features on the honours board in the pavilion. Sachin Tendulkar's name will be missing.
He will be not the only recent legend to be absent from the honour roll -- also missing are Muthaiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne; neither spinner has taken the five wickets or more in an innings at Lord's to feature on the honour board there.
The Master bids farewell to Lord's
In both innings, the posh MCC members rose to a man and applauded Sachin's walk to the wicket as they did his disappointed amble back to the dressing room.
They knew the likes of Sachin Tendulkar will not be seen at Lord's again.
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