Yuvraj discharged after cancer treatment

India's World Cup cricket hero Yuvraj Singh announced on Sunday that he has been discharged from hospital after undergoing chemotherapy for a cancerous tumour.

"3rd chemo cycles over, back from hospital n I am free.... Can't wait to be back home," the 30-year-old all-rounder said via Twitter from the United States, where he has been receiving treatment. 

Left-handed Yuvraj, named man of the tournament after India's World Cup triumph at home last April, was diagnosed with a rare condition, mediastinal seminoma - a malignant tumour between his lungs - soon after the event.

Thousands of well-wishers, including US cycling great Lance Armstrong, have sent messages to the player, who is known for his aggressive batting and disciplined spin bowling.

Thanking fans for their support, Yuvraj also doffed his hat to Indian cricketing superstar Sachin Tendulkar for achieving the "unachievable" after becoming the only player to score 100 international centuries on Friday.

"Overwhelmed and full of emotions Tendulkar take a bow What he has achieved is immeasurable and what he has done is unachievable," he said.

Yuvraj, who scored 362 runs and bagged 15 wickets in nine World Cup matches, has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two of the three home Tests against the West Indies in November.

He has scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000. 

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Swann blasts 'cheat' Perera over catching row

England off spinner Graeme Swann has criticized Sri Lankan batsman Dilruwan Perera for refusing to walk after being caught at slip off James Anderson, and credited captain Andrew Strauss for restoring calm among the players.

Swann accused Perera of trying to cheat after knowing he was out.

"It was very difficult to take, as it was so blatantly out. What annoyed us was the batsman stood there, knowing 100 per cent he was out. He chose to cheat in my view," The Sun quoted Swann, as saying.

"I'm glad Straussy was there, because I'm sure it would have gone further had we not had someone with a bit of onus to calm things down," he said.

England had won the warm up game against Sri Lanka Board eleven with relative ease, as Alastair Cook, James Anderson and Monty Panesar gave encouraging performances.

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'Ruthless' Smith in no mood to ease up on Kiwi bowlers

South Africa captain Graeme Smith has warned New Zealand bowlers that he intends to carry forward his good form in the final Test match at Wellington, as the team's peak form hasn't been achieved yet.

Smith and his team were able to celebrate St Patrick's Day in style after savaging the Black Caps in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead with one match to play in the series.

The Proteas were out on the town after three days of play, following an inexorable bowling display, in which they dismissed the home side for 185 and 168, with the prolific Vernon Philander grabbing ten wickets in the match.

Smith, who hit an unbeaten 55 as the tourists hurried to their target of 101 in the 20th over, was in no mood to feel for the hosts who have a sole Twenty20 win to their name against the visitors this summer.

"It's been a tough summer but, if you are not successful in a home summer the pressure - with your own crowds and your own media - does feel a whole lot more than when you're away," The Age quoted Smith, as saying.

"In professional sport, you want to be as ruthless as possible. Wellington can be a tough venue for a touring team with the conditions you can face there, particularly the wind at the Basin," he said.

Smith said the team would like to conclude the series on a high, as it has been a tremendous tour for them.

"We would like to finish this tour strongly because it has been a terrific tour for us," he added.

But, Smith also cautioned the Kiwis that the best from them was yet to come, as the team is still improving.

"We've still got a lot of improving to do," he said.

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Windies have heart to beat Australia, says Narine

Right-arm slow bowler Sunil Narine believes the West Indies' success in finally ending their Australian jinx could pave the way for victory in the five-match series.

The 23-year-old was named man of the match for his four for 27 off eight overs as the West Indies beat Australia by five wickets on Sunday, a first win over their rivals since 2006.

"It feels really great to get my best figures in just my fifth match and bowl the team to a victory," said the Trinidad-born off-spinner.

"We needed this win after going 1-0 down in the first match on Friday. This will be a huge boost for the players in the team and everyone in the dressing room. This is the first West Indies win over Australia in a long time and it shows that we have it in us to win." 

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Windies end six-year losing streak to Australia

Big-hitting Kieron Pollard blasted a typically muscular 47 as West Indies clinched their first win in almost six years over Australia when they took the second one-dayer by five wickets on Sunday.

In a match reduced to 40 overs a side because of rain, Australia struggled to 154 for nine under cloudy conditions with West Indies reaching their Duckworth-Lewis target of 158 with 10 balls remaining.

Pollard top-scored with 47, an innings which featured four huge sixes, one of which, off spinner Xavier Doherty, cleared the Arnos Vale stands and ended on the runway of the neighbouring St Vincent airport.

Carlton Baugh had the honour of hitting the winning runs, another six off the hapless Doherty which flew over midwicket as the home side finished on 163 for five.

Dwyane Bravo also played a crucial role, making 30 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 64 with Pollard which swung the game the West Indies' way after they had lost opener Kieran Powell to a first ball lbw off Brett Lee.

"It's a good feeling, the team played much better today, the bowlers did well again and there was much more responsibility when chasing the runs," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

"It was a total team effort. All in all we were searching for a win and we are glad we got over the line. From the last game, when we batted, there was not much change; today we did what we had to do and I'm just happy we won one."

Australian captain Shane Watson admitted that his batsmen had come up short. "In the end we were 20-30 runs short. Unfortunately we weren't able to get big enough partnerships through the start or middle," said Watson.

"Once the sun got on the wicket it seemed to settle a little more but that's the great challenge of playing in the West Indies and we have to adapt a little better. It's about getting the balance of the batting -- the wickets are a little different from home."

Australia won the first game at the same venue on Friday by 64 runs, their 15th win in their last 16 one-dayers against West Indies, a run stretching back to the 2006 Champions Trophy in India.

West Indies, who suffered an embarrassing middle order collapse on Friday when they lost six wickets for just seven runs, won the toss on Sunday and put Australia into bat.

David Hussey top-scored for the tourists with 37 off 62 balls, an innings which featured four boundaries before he fell to off-spinner Sunil Narine, who finished with figures of 4-27 off eight overs. Narine was named man of the match.

The start of play was delayed by rain before more showers forced the players off for 90 minutes when Australia were 16-0 after five overs.

Australia then slipped to 46 for three in the 14th over with David Warner (13) and Peter Forrest (0) both dismissed by seamer Kemar Roach in the sixth over of the day.

Roach, desperate for a Test match call-up next month, finished with 2 for 23 off eight overs.

The next match in the series takes place at the same venue on Tuesday with the two concluding matches in St Lucia on Friday and Sunday. 

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Kohli destroys Pakistan in Asia Cup run-fest

Virat Kohli smashed a blistering 183 off 148 balls as India produced their highest ever run chase to beat Pakistan by six-wickets on Sunday and keep alive their hopes of reaching the Asia Cup final.

Chasing a daunting total of 330, India pulled off a thrilling victory with 13 balls to spare thanks to Kohli, who notched up his third one-day century in four matches.

Rohit Sharma (68) and Sachin Tendulkar (52) also chipped in as India surpassed their previous highest successful run chase of 326-8 against England in 2002.

Kolhi belted 22 boundaries and one six while Tendulkar and Sharma also clobbered the Pakistani bowlers, with each hitting five fours and a six.

Pakistan qualified for Thursday's final despite losing to India as they had earlier registered wins against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, earning a bonus point in the process.

India must now hope Sri Lanka, who have already been eliminated, beat Bangladesh in the final round robin match on Tuesday if they are to go through to the final.

India's Asia Cup campaign suffered a setback following their shock five-wicket defeat by Bangladesh on Friday, meaning that the hosts will go through to the final if they beat Sri Lanka as head-to-head results are taken into account before net run rate.

India's dazzling batting display on Sunday completely overshadowed the 224-run opening partnership by Pakistan's Nasir Jamshed (112) and Mohammad Hafeez (105).

The duo looked to have put the match out of India's reach as they could not be separated until the 36th over. Jamshed was the first to fall after he tried to hoist a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery over the boundary but instead found Irfan Pathan, who was fortunate not to drop the catch.

Hafeez was trapped lbw by pace bowler Ashok Dinda just three balls later but not before the duo had laid the foundations for Pakistan to post 329-6 from their 50 overs.

When opener Gautam Gambhir perished for a duck in the second ball of the Indian innings, it seemed as if Pakistan would be soon celebrating a quick victory.

Kohli had other ideas.

The 23-year-old shared a 133-run second-wicket partnership with Tendulkar and both players produced a flurry of boundaries to ensure India were on top of the required run rate.

Tendulkar, who completed an unprecedented 100 international centuries against Bangladesh on Friday, was foxed by a doosra off Sajeed Ajmal and was caught by Younus Khan at slip.

Kohli, dropped by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal on two, punished the Pakistan bowlers for the let off and added a further 172 runs with Sharma to put India firmly in control.

Kohli was finally dismissed in the 48th over after edging a Umar Gul delivery to Hafeez but by then India were 12 runs short of their target and they easily knocked off the remaining runs.

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Azhar Mahmood hoping to fire for Kings XI Punjab in IPL

Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has he had been fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of success in twenty over cricket and he hopes that the trend continues in India.

"My aim is always to give my all and I will go to India looking to win my fourth Twenty20 title, after previous wins with Surrey, Auckland and Dhaka. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of success in twenty over cricket and I hope that it can continue in India," Pakpassion quoted Mahmood, as saying.

He was bought by Kings XI Punjab at the Indian Premier League players' auction in Bangalore, making him the first player of Pakistani origin to figure in the IPL since the first edition in 2008.

"I'm really excited at playing in the Indian Premier League, it should be a great adventure to play for Kings XI Punjab."

Mahmood spoke highly of the IPL and described it as "the biggest tournament in the world after international cricket".

Mahmood will be joined by Wasim Akram who is in the coaching staff of Kolkata Knight Riders andRameez Raja who will be part of the commentary team as the only Pakistanis taking part in the IPL, and added that the lack of Pakistani participation was a matter for the two cricket boards.

"My job is to play competitive cricket wherever it is available in the world. Yes I am going to India as an English qualified player, but let's make something absolutely clear here, I don't think the IPL organizers have any problems with Pakistanis, the problem seems to be with the Pakistan Cricket Board's contracted players. Look, Wasim Akram will be working at the IPL again this time, I am going too and everyone knows that I have previously played for Pakistan, so it's not a problem specifically with Pakistanis, rather an issue between the BCCI and PCB."

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Bangladesh win despite 100-ton Tendulkar

Dhaka: Sachin Tendulkar made history with his 100th international century but India failed to stop Bangladesh from registering an upset five-wicket win in the Asia Cup tournament in Dhaka on Friday.

Tendulkar, who now has 51 hundreds in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals, cracked one six and 12 fours in his 147-ball 114 to help his team post a challenging 289-5.

The memorable moment came in the 44th over when Tendulkar turned left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to square-leg for a single to become the first batsman to score a century of centuries.

But Bangladesh batted remarkably well to achieve the stiff target with four balls to spare in the day-night match for only their third win over India in 24 one-dayers and keep alive their hopes of reaching the final.

Opener Tamim Iqbal (70) and Jahurul Islam (53) put on 113 for the second wicket before man-of-the-match Shakib (49) and Nasir Hossain (54) plundered 68 off just eight overs.

Bangladesh needed 46 runs in the last five overs with six wickets in hand, but skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (46 not out off 25 balls) eased the pressure by smashing three sixes.

Shakib hit two sixes and five fours in his 31-ball knock at a crucial stage.

Pakistan have two wins in as many matches, while India and Bangladesh have one victory each after two games. Sri Lanka have lost both of their matches.

The 100th-ton celebrations were subdued as Tendulkar removed his helmet, raised his bat and looked at the sky, before being congratulated by non-striker Suresh Raina and Bangladeshi fielders.

Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month, already holds four major batting records - most runs and centuries in both Tests and one-day internationals.

Timing and placement marked Tendulkar's knock. He put on 148 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (66) and 86 for the third with Raina (51).

He was dismissed in the 47th over, caught behind while attempting to drive paceman Mashrafe Mortaza and returned to the pavilion to a standing ovation from 20,000 fans at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Tendulkar was at his aggressive best at the start, fluently driving paceman Shafiul Islam through the covers and then hitting Mortaza for two boundaries. His next two scoring strokes were also fours.

Tendulkar did not spare the slow bowlers, hoisting Shakib over long-on for the first six of the match and then smashing the spinner for a four to complete his half-century.

He had kept his fans waiting for the milestone since cracking his 99th ton -- 111 against South Africa in the World Cup at Nagpur on March 12, 2011. 

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Doherty spell leads Australia to opening win

Australia spinner Xavier Doherty took four wickets to lead the visitors to a 64-run victory over the West Indies in the first one-day international of their five-match series in Kingstown, St Vincent on Friday.

It was a familiar story of failing with the bat while chasing a modest total for the Caribbean side as they kicked off the series, which also includes three tests, in disappointing fashion.

Australia were restricted to 204 in their allotted 50 overs with only opener Dave Warner, who struck 40 from 55 balls, and George Bailey's 48 on his one-day international debut able to master the tricky conditions for the visitors.

Dwayne Bravo was the most effective of the West Indies bowlers, picking up 3-58, while Kemar Roach's pace and Marlon Samuels' off-spin also helped pin down the tourists on a slow track.

West Indies made a decent start to taking on what was a very achievable target with Samuels (35) and Dwayne Bravo (32) getting amongst the runs but when the latter was bowled by Daniel Christian, the floodgates opened.

Six wickets fell for just seven runs and only a late cameo from skipper Darren Sammy (35) offered any kind of resistance at the Arnos Vale Ground.

Doherty will take the plaudits for his fine spell of slow left-arm bowling, coming back well after being hit for three sixes in his first over by Samuels, but the Australian bowlers were helped by some awful shot selection from the hosts.

"It was a great way to start the tour... we know that on this surface we had a decent enough score," Australian skipper Shane Watson told reporters.

"They had a period with (Dwayne) Bravo and Samuels going after us but we had talked before that if we kept up some sustained pressure they could self-destruct a bit and they did that," he said.

While Watson was delighted with Bailey making the top score in his first ODI, he was full of praise for Doherty's response to being blasted out of the attack.

"Xavier has improved, he has just developed his cricket over the last couple of years and now he has a number of different game plans that he can go to," Watson added.

"For me as a captain, he really is a pleasure to skipper because he knows that if things don't go exactly right he has always got another way to be successful and he did that today with four wickets at a really crucial time".

The only real bright spot for West Indies was the all-round performance of Jamaican Samuels, but Sammy remained upbeat.

"We are very disappointed. Hopefully we can bounce back in the second match. We have two more games here and we have a history of getting better as a series goes on."

The two teams observed a minute's silence prior to the start of the match in honour of Runako Morton after the former Leeward Islands captain and West Indies batsman died in a car crash two weeks ago.

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Tendulkar scores landmark century of centuries

At about half past four at Mirpur's Shere Bangla Stadium, Sachin Tendulkar tapped a delivery from Shakib Al Hasan on his pads behind square. He scampered to the non-striker's end for a single. There was no exaggerated celebration; just a tired-looking glance heavenwards, a raised bat accepting the congratulations, and a finger pointed at the tri-colour on his helmet. 

He was embraced by Suresh Raina in the middle before the Bangladesh players also ran up to congratulate him. The crowd welcomed the moment. They didn't mind that the home team had been at the receiving end of this milestone. The oldest man on the park had finally done it.  

Tendulkar celebrates his hundred.

With that single, Tendulkar completed his hundredth century in international cricket — an unprecedented feat that will not be passed again by anyone in a hurry. It was also his 49th hundred in an ODI, ending his year-long wait for a three-figure knock. 

There may have been a more befitting stage for such an incredible milestone than an Asia Cup encounter against a weak bowling attack. Less befitting was the manner in which he crawled to the mark. There were 82 dot balls in Tendulkar's innings, completely in contrast with how Virat Kohli, Raina, and several of the Bangladeshi batsmen played this game. He was a shadow of his former aggressive self in this innings, but what's beyond doubt is Tendulkar's place among the greatest sports persons of all times. 

A hundred hundreds in international cricket was unheard of. In 1998, Tendulkar took the recordat 36 hundreds held jointly by Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards and Desmond Haynes. He has nearly tripled the mark, and this incredible feat of longevity will put him along such sporting icons as Pele, Navratilova and Federer.

Tendulkar, who is now in the 23rd year of his international career had been searching for this landmark since March 12 2011 when he last scored a hundred, against South Africa in Nagpur during the World Cup. Since then, he went 33 innings — including whole tours to England and Australia — without a hundred. 

With each failure, the clamour around the milestone grew louder, with experts even questioning his motives behind continuing playing for India at the expense of young players waiting in the wings. 

Today, India lost the early wicket of Gautam Gambhir in the sixth over when Shafiul Islam clean bowled the left-handed opener. Tendulkar and Virat Kohli (66) then added 148 runs for the second wicket, setting the stage for a big score. 

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Used to love seeing Tendulkar take on Warne: Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor, an iconic former captain of Australia, spoke to The Telegraph exclusively on the one and only Sachin Tendulkar.

The following are excerpts:

First thoughts on Sachin...

What to say? It’s astonishing to score 51 Test hundreds and 49 ODI hundreds... Obviously, he started very young and has played quite a lot of his cricket on very good pitches (in India)... He’s been a terrific batsman.

Sachin’s USP...

His technique, his mental capacity to keep playing for over 22 years... To play that many games (188 Tests and 462 ODIs) and to be still enjoying it is amazing.

The technique factor...

Sachin’s technique is as good as any of the other greats... His grounding has been very good and he picks the ball up so early... Then, he’s such a good timer.

Most abiding memory of Sachin...

I used to love seeing Sachin take on Shane Warne, that would be a contest to watch... Quite clearly one of the contests of the modern era.

If Sachin has been the best after Sir Donald Bradman...

It’s hard to say who is the absolute best... After Sir Don, the names which come to my mind are Viv (Sir Vivian Richards), Greg Chappell, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and, of course, Sachin... All five aggressive batsmen, with the ability to dominate attacks... Gritty players as well... Who is the absolute best, well, I don’t want to get into it... 

It would be unfair on those whom I didn’t name.

Sachin having been free of controversies...

That’s true, but people are less likely to criticise Sachin than the others.

The future he sees for Sachin...

Not different from Ricky’s... He’s got to keep making runs... However, there will come a day when Sachin will realise he’s not the player he was... That’s the day he should give it up... He’ll soon be 39 (on April 24) and I don’t think you can be at your best at 39. Generally, batsmen are at their best between 28-33.

Finally, whether the realisation that one is just no longer as good as one used to be is painful...

I was 34 when I retired and I knew I wasn’t as good then as I was till a couple of years before that... I could’ve continued, but didn’t... I didn’t want to continue training, day in and day out... I guess it’s a lot harder decision to make nowadays, 13 years on, as there’s so much money involved... I had a Channel 9 contract waiting for me, so I didn’t have to worry (about the future financially)... While I knew my best years were behind me, I also had the opportunity to straightaway do something else. Today, retiring means you potentially give up millions of dollars each year. It’s not an easy decision to make. 

Mind says Tendulkar's record may be broken: Kapil

"Records are meant to be bettered... But, yes, somebody will have to play for 20 years and have a really phenomenal run in ODIs," he said.

My heart says it should stay forever, but my mind says it may get broken... Records are meant to be bettered... But, yes, somebody will have to play for 20 years and have a really phenomenal run in ODIs. It won’t be easy, though. That I concede... We used to worry about who after Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar)... But, then, came Sachin... So? 

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Pune Warriors may sign Clarke for IPL-5

Michael Clarke’s aversion to T20s in general, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in particular, is not a secret. For the Australia captain, the five-day format has always scored over the shortest version of the game.

His stance has been a refreshing exception as ‘cashing’ in on your skills is the order of the day for most of the contemporary cricketers. Such has been his resolve that four seasons of the cash-rich tournament have failed to lure him and thus he is yet to play in the IPL.

But for those who miss the stylish player during the IPL days, there’s some good news. According to Sourav Ganguly, who is also the captain-cum-mentor of the Sahara Pune Warriors, the IPL franchise is “on the verge” of signing the Australian for the fifth edition of the T20 league.

Speaking at a promotional, the former India captain said: “We’re on the verge of signing (Michael) Clarke… However, he will be available from May.”

However, there’s a bump in Clarke’s way to the IPL and the “May” bit may dampen the mood.

Australia’s upcoming series in the West Indies begins on Friday with the first ODI and is scheduled to end on April 27 — the last day of the final Test. Clarke, if he comes, would need at least a couple days more to reach India.

After April 29, the Pune Warriors will have a total of seven matches (two each against the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajasthan Royals, and one each against the Deccan Chargers, the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore) left in the group league stage.

The crucial question then is would Clarke decide to take the plunge for that many matches? Or would he prefer rest before Australia’s prestigious five-match ODI series in England, which begins on June 29?

Clarke retired from T20 Internationals in January last year and hence the fact that the World T20 is scheduled to be held in September this year, should not affect his decision, unless he decides to have a rethink.

But if he joins the Pune Warriors’ ranks, Clarke would certainly be a value-addition as the franchise has failed to enhance their squad at the auctions last month due to their off-field problems.

Sourav spoke more about his IPL team as he said: “Graeme (Smith) and myself are likely to open... I feel that if our batsmen click, we do have a great chance of making it big this time. The only worrying factor would be Yuvraj’s absence. We all know he’s a special talent.”

Clarke’s possible inclusion may actually serve to make up for that void.

On a different note, Sourav said that he believes India should play more freely in the ongoing Asia Cup. “I think India will be under less pressure given their win over Sri Lanka. Hopefully, they’ll beat Bangladesh as well and therefore, they can approach the Pakistan game with a positive frame of mind,” he said. 

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Sammy backs Windies youth and elder statesmen

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy believes his team's mixture of raw youth and battle-scarred veterans can knock Australia out of their stride when the five-game, one-day series starts on Friday.

The first three matches all take place at Arnos Vale, as international cricket returns to St Vincent for the first time since March, 2010.

"Johnson Charles is an exciting prospect and we also have Sunil Narine, who is a very good spinner, and also Andre Russell, the exciting all-rounder, who can do the job that is required," said 28-year-old Sammy.

"We have some players who are making a return to international cricket like Tino Best, who has been bowling very well, and Dwayne Bravo, who says he is very excited to be back in the maroon shirt."

"We are team which will be very competitive against the Australians. We will look to play hard cricket and look for wins."

Sammy said he enjoys playing at Arnos Vale. Two years ago, he recorded career-best ODI figures of four for 26 against Zimbabwe while back, in 2009, he took five for 70 against Bangladesh in a Test match.

"We have to believe we have it in us to win," he added.

"We will look to hit the ground running and start the series on a winning note. Arnos Vale has been a good venue for us. The last time we played here we won the matches and we enjoy the crowd support from the fans and the atmosphere at this venue is always superb."

He added: "We are playing against the Australians, and everyone knows they are a good team ... a very competitive team. But we are focussing on us and what we have to do."

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Australia's Watson happy to bat at No.3 in Tests

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who is leading the one-day side in the absence of injured skipper Michael Clarke, has said that he would be happy to bat at number three in the Test series against the West Indies.

Watson has long expressed his desire to remain an opening batsman despite some thinking his future lies down the order following his latest injury woes.

Ed Cowan and David Warner's emergence as Australia's opening pair during Watson's three-month lay off this summer with calf and hamstring problems even created the possibility the 30-year-old might struggle to get back into the Test team once he regained fitness.

After a 16-man squad was named on Wednesday in Australia for the three Tests in the Caribbean, selector Rod Marsh said Watson would most likely take the dumped Shaun Marsh's No.3 spot in the batting order.

The Age quoted Watson, as saying: "I'm happy to play anywhere to be honest after sitting out all the summer and seeing how successful the Test team was."

He added: "There's no doubt I have really enjoyed opening the batting in Test cricket, and all forms of the game to be honest, but in the end batting at number three is certainly still in the engine room with the newer ball."

Watson said: "I'm just happy to complement the team wherever I possibly can because it has been an extremely exciting and successful Test summer and I'd love to be a part of that." 

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Tendulkar, the master who was born to bat

Consistently brilliant, universally admired and modest to a fault, India's Sachin Tendulkar has ruled world cricket for more than two decades with his record-shattering batting.

As the "master blaster" became the first player to score 100 international centuries on Friday, millions of adoring fans in India and abroad bowed to the man often worshipped like a demi-god in his country.

Over years of high-pressure national expectation and fierce media attention, Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month, has barely put a foot wrong, remaining the smiling, boyish figure he was when he burst on the world stage in 1989, aged 16.

His 100th international ton adds another jewel to the glittering career of cricket's most celebrated living batsman, who holds all coveted batting records except Don Bradman's career average of 99.94.

Tendulkar, a copybook right-hander, has played more Tests (188) and one-dayers (462) and compiled more runs and centuries in both forms of the game than anyone else.

His 49th one-day ton - alongside 51 Test hundreds - came a year after he realised his childhood dream of being part of a World Cup-winning campaign.

Tendulkar has so far scored 15,470 Test runs at an average of 55.44 with a best of 248 not out against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004.

His one-day tally stands at 18,374 runs, including the first double-century in the format - a 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010.

Now in his 23rd year in international cricket, Tendulkar remains as passionate about the game as he was on his debut against Pakistan in November, 1989.

But his batting had begun to be questioned in India, with unprecedented talk of his retirement following a disappointing recent series in Australia.

And the father of two took a year to record his 100th ton after getting the 99th in the World Cup last March.

The cricketing world first took notice of the child prodigy when, aged 17 and playing only his ninth Test, he hit a match-saving 119 not out against England at Old Trafford in 1990.

Tendulkar still regards that 100 as one of his best, but what followed in Australia in 1991-92 set the standard for a career as one of the modern greats.

Having scored an unbeaten 148 in the Sydney Test, Tendulkar mastered the spiteful Perth wicket to hit a brilliant 114 against an all-out pace attack.

The innings prompted veteran English writer John Woodcock to stand up in the press box and declare: "This has to be the best batsman I have ever seen... and unlike most of you I watched Bradman bat!"

Since then, Tendulkar's longevity and string of lucrative commercial endorsements for everything from watches to cement has brought him huge wealth.

He has an insatiable love of fast cars and is rumoured to drive around the streets of Mumbai in the early hours, but his otherwise humble, family-based approach to life has meant fans still feel a close bond with him.

News late last year that he had moved into a new luxury house in Mumbai with his wife Anjali, a medical doctor, and two children, was greeted nationwide with the interest of delighted relatives.

"It's been a privilege to play for India for so long," Tendulkar has said. "Cricket is my passion. I think it is a gift from God that I have been able to live that passion for so many years. It's just fantastic."

Off the field, Tendulkar sponsors 200 under-privileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO run by his mother-in-law, Annabel Mehta.

He has also helped raise funds for numerous causes like the crusade against cancer and the creation of basic facilities, particularly toilets for girl children, in 140 government schools across the country.

No longer keen to hold the captaincy, a role in which he did not prosper, he remains the most-prized wicket in cricket.

Fit, balanced and with hunger for more runs, retirement still seems to be far from Tendulkar's mind. 

News source by:- http://cricket.yahoo.com/news/