MUMBAI - Newly-retired cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said Sunday that it was the "perfect time" for him to leave the game after his body began to struggle with the physical pressure. The record-breaking batsmen made a tearful final departure from the field on Saturday after his 200th Test match, bringing to an end an unusually long and glittering career spanning 24 years.
The 40-year-old, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket and a national hero in India, said his body had told him that it was time to put away his bat. "I've had a lot of injuries. It's not easy to overcome all those injuries," he told reporters in his hometown Mumbai, where he played his final match. "Somewhere in life and you reach a stage when your body gives you a message, enough of this physical load. I think the body requires rest."
The only batsman ever to score 100 international centuries, he admitted it was "becoming an effort" to complete training sessions. "This is the perfect time to leave the game," he added. With his last international century nearly three years ago, some had suggested Tendulkar's retirement should have come sooner, but the "Little Master" bowed out with his god-like popularity intact across India.
The crowd at the Wankhede stadium wept with him on Saturday and deafeningly cheered his name after the match against the West Indies came to a close. He made an emotional and poignant speech on the field thanking everyone who had supported him, before being hoisted on his teammates' shoulders for a lap of honour around the field. Tendulkar, who made a cup of tea and had a "relaxed" breakfast with his wife Anjali after waking up on Sunday, said the finality of his retirement was yet to sink in. "I don't know why but it is yet to strike me that I'm not going to play cricket anymore," he said. "Cricket has been my life, cricket was oxygen for me."
Tendulkar remained tight-lipped over his future plans, but said he would like to help "the next generation" of cricketers and stay associated with the game on some level. "It's just 24 hours I've been retired, at least give me 24 days to take rest. I'll decide after that," he joked with the media. After his farewell match, he became the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, which he dedicated to his own mother and all other Indian mothers for the "thousands" of sacrifices they make for their children.
Meanwhile, legendary batsman has ended his record-breaking 200 Tests career by finishing 18th in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen as he jumped five places in the latest chart, released by the ICC on Sunday. Tendulkar had entered the series in 24th position, which was his lowest since 1992. He scored 74 runs in his final innings in the Mumbai Test against the West Indies.
Cheteshwar Pujara is the highest-placed Indian in the batting chart. Pujara has moved up two places to a career-best sixth with a best-ever 801 ratings points, following his knock of 113 in the Mumbai Test. Other batsmen to move in the right direction are Virat Kohli in 21st (up by four), Murali Vijay in 42nd (up by two), Kieran Powell in 53rd (up by four) and Rohit Sharma in 58th (up by five).
The batting chart continues to be headed by AB de Villiers of South Africa, with teammate Hashim Amla in second place and West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul in third place.
Among bowlers, India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha have made upward movements in the top 10.
While Ashwin has moved up a place to a career-best fifth with a best-ever 808 ratings points, Ojha has returned to the top 10 of the bowlers' table with a jump of four places to ninth. Ashwin picked up three for 45 and four for 89 in the two innings of the Mumbai Test, while Ojha ended with his first 10-wicket haul in Tests (10 for 89) to be named man-of-the-match.
West Indies spinner Shane Shillingford, who has moved up a place to 16th, in the only other positive change inside the top 20. South Africa's Dale Steyn continues to head the bowlers' table with teammate Vernon Philander in second position and Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath in third.