Retiring cricket legend cheered every run during his 200th and final Test match.
As if it was written in the stars – Sachin Tendulkar batted on day one.
However, it did not always appear the cricket God’s were smiling on their prodigal son as India won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Thanks to some excellent from the home side’s spin attack, most notably Pragyab Ojha who claimed 5-40, the West Indies again crumbled to be all out for just 182.
India looked well on their way to overtaking their opponent’s total when they put on 77 for the first wicket before Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed for 33.
The home side fell to be 2-77 when Murali Vijay was set packing for 43, bringing the man of the moment to the crease, accompanied by a thunderous applause.
Tendulkar was greeted by a guard of honour set by the West Indies team, in the ultimate sign of respect for their opponent.
It took him three balls to get off the mark when he earned a single off Shane Shillingford.
The massive crowd was on the edge of their seats with every ball as they hoped their hero would get his eye in and turn on some fireworks against the lackluster West Indies bowling attack.
Tendulkar scored his first boundary for the innings when Shillingford pitched short with the man of the moment gliding it through the point region with ease.
The stadium did not even needs seats, with much of the crowd in attendance standing, cheering
and chanting their hero’s name.
India were taken past 100 for the innings with a classic Tendulkar cover drover, which raced to the boundary with just a hint of effort from the diminutive right-hander.
In a sign of how big the occasions was, Sachin’s mother was at the ground watching him play in person for the first time.
When she was shown on the big screen even she received massive applause.
Tendulkar slowed his scoring rate as India took control as the shadows on the field lengthened and walked off to massive applause as he helped take his side to 157-2 at close with the man of the moment 38 of 73 balls with six boundaries.
Chapter two of the final edition of Tendulkar will be written tomorrow.
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