Dileep Premachandran in Mumbai sees the impatient faithful get what they wanted: the Little Master batting in his final Test
Even before television replays confirmed that Murali Vijay, India's opening batsman, was out, the primal scream had begun. "Sachin, Sachin," came the chant, the staccato soundtrack that has been such an integral part of Indian cricket for nearly 25 years. Then, at 3.32pm, the man the thousands were serenading walked down the pavilion steps, as hordes of fans tried to reach across the railing to touch him.
The West Indies team and the umpires had already arranged themselves in two lines, a guard of honour for the 40-year-old as he became the first cricketer to play 200 Tests in his farewell game before retirement. Sachin Tendulkar's helmeted face betrayed almost no sign of emotion. After breaking nearly every record in international cricket, scoring more runs and more centuries than any other player, Tendulkar seemed the calmest person in the Wankhede Stadium.
As he got to the pitch, he reached down to touch the ground and then his forehead in a gesture of obeisance, the Hindu equivalent of the sign of the cross. He patted down tufts of grass and lumps of red Mumbai clay before settling at the crease. As he marked his guard and looked up, he could see the stand bearing his name. No one there was sitting down.
Most of them had been on their feet at the crack of dawn, aware of the stringent security measures in place at the 32,000-capacity stadium. It took some fans almost 90 minutes to get in, as they were subjected to at least three levels of body frisking and bag checking. Many of them came in their India limited-overs shirt, with "Tendulkar 10" emblazoned on the back. A few carried banners and posters, one that said "Legend" could be seen later in the day draped over a railing in the Sachin Tendulkar stand. If you gazed up at the stadium roof, it was ringed by blown-up pictures, one for each of Tendulkar's 51 Test centuries. Before the toss, the crowd were beside themselves in anticipation of India batting. So there was a general air of bemusement when MS Dhoni, India's captain, won it and decided to send West Indies in to bat. Even the coin that he flipped had been specially made for the occasion. Crafted in gold, it had Tendulkar's image on one side, and the Maharashtra Cricket Association logo – a lion – on the other. When Chris Gayle played the first ball of the match towards midwicket and Tendulkar ran across to gather it, the roar was akin to that greeting a goal in a cup final.
For the thousands in the stadium and millions watching outside, it was so much more than just a game of cricket or a celebration. Many between the ages of 20 and 35 can scarcely recall the sport without Tendulkar at its heart. Tendulkar's international career that will reach 24 years on Friday – he made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi on 15 November, six days after the Berlin Wall came down.
India is as much a melting pot as mainland Europe. Even before Tendulkar's debut, the cricket team was one of the few true unifying forces. After Mahatma Gandhi, who lived only four months after Indian independence in 1947, there have been few leaders whose charisma radiated north, south, east and west. And Tendulkar, like Gandhi, has been venerated across the land. Whether you watched a match in Mohali in Punjab or Kochi in Kerala, the adulation would be the same. Even in times of strife, no one rallied Indians behind the flag as he did. It seemed appropriate when he came out on Thursday with a bat handle modified to reflect the Indian flag, with its saffron, white and green. Before play began, in one of many ceremonies that have been part of this two-Test farewell series, a special Tendulkar stamp was released. He is only the second Indian – after Mother Teresa – to be so honoured in their lifetime.
India's team took to the field wearing shirts designed for the match that featured the words "Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar 200th Test" below the crest.There were still thousands who had not turned up, mistakenly assuming that West Indies would bat all day. But Bollywood stars were out in force, with Aamir Khan – whose Lagaan was the most popular cricket-themed movie ever – even doing a stint in the commentators' box.
West Indies's innings did not even last until tea, and then the wishes of those who had spent most of the first two sessions chanting "We want Sachin" had them duly granted. When Tendulkar ran a single after miscuing a sweep to deep square leg off the third ball he faced, it was the cue for bedlam. The flag-waving was frenzied, with ululations and chants accompanied by the booming bass of fans banging hoardings in front of them.
When, on 18, a flick off the pads just evaded the leg-gully fielder, the collective sigh of relief could be heard hundreds of yards away. The giant electronic screen kept showing messages from players, past and present. One was a tweet from England's Joe Root. "Sachin made his debut for India before I was born," it said. "Then played in my test debut #ThankYouSachin".
With the day winding to a close, Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, bowled a full delivery. Tendulkar rolled back the years with an immaculate on-drive that had fans jumping from their seats as if an electric current had passed through them. Then as the final over began, the cameras cut across to one of the hospitality boxes and an elderly lady wrapped in a shawl. Rajni Tendulkar was watching her son play live for the very first time, in his 664th and final international appearance. The crowd rose to applaud her.
Her son was undefeated on 38 at stumps and walked off chatting with Cheteshwar Pujara, one of the hugely promising batsmen poised to take over his mantle. The people will be back on Friday, when the serpentine queues will once again weave back along Marine Drive, the boulevard by the sea that leads to the stadium, hoping for another glimpse of the master.
Owing to a dispute between media organisations and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Guardian is unable to provide full coverage, including images of the India v West Indies TestTest
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