KOLKATA: Millions prayed. The 'God' of cricket promised, only to go back on his word.
Sachin Tendulkar's sojourn at the crease in the first Test against the West Indies lasted a mere 24 deliveries at a half-empty Eden Gardens on Thursday, his innings ending just when the Little Master was beginning to come to terms with the turning track against a bowler who had his tail up.

LONDON: After that very physical on-court celebration - a guttural yell, followed by scissor-kicks and fist-pumps - the man with myriad expressions got emotional when he looked back on his amazing 2013 journey from shaky knees and an injury-ravaged body to the pinnacle of his sport en route which he claimed two Grand Slams — the French and US Opens.

NEW DELHI: Shane Shillingford silenced the Eden Gardens crowd by trapping Sachin Tendulkar plumb in front of the wicket on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata on Thursday.

CHENNAI: In a nation where cricket is a religion and retiring superstar Sachin Tendulkar its resident deity, reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand holds his own as one of India's finest sportsmen.

KOLKATA: Whoever writes Sachin Tendulkar's fairytale script clearly has a few tricks left up his sleeve. Spectators at Eden Gardens, who had cheered Sachin every time he ventured near the ball while fielding, went delirious as he gifted them an unexpected wicket, trapping Shane Shillingford LBW.

NEW DELHI: Marlon Samuels reached his 19th Test half-century in the second over after lunch on the first day of the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.

KOLKATA: Talented India batsman Rohit Sharma on Wednesday made his long-awaited debut in the five-day format of the game in the first Test against West Indies, getting his coveted cap from none other than Sachin Tendulkar who is playing in his farewell series.

Namaskar India! Through this column I will be with you during West Indies' tour of India. I hope we enjoy what promises to be a historic series between two great cricketing nations: India and the West Indies.

 In a long 24 year journey everything changes. For Sachin Tendulkar things have been no different. He started out as a marauding 16 year old who wished to tame every bowler he faced. He wasn't afraid to launch into the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee in 1989 when he faced him in New Zealand. And this had come at the back of his assault on Abdul Qadir in Pakistan in his debut series in 1989.

NEW DELHI: The rise of Virat Kohli is a fascinating tale. From a precocious talent, who climbed through the ranks to become part of Team India in 2008, the Delhi boy has become the most devastating batsman in ODI cricket at the moment. And he is developing into a formidable Test batsman too.