Sachin Tendulkar to receive Order of Australia on November 6

Undoubtedly, it will be one of Sachin Tendulkar's most significant moments concerning the southern hemisphere country. Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the honour on a recent trip to New Delhi.

Tendulkar has enjoyed a special relationship with Australia. At the Sydney Cricket Ground on India's 1991-92 tour, he became the youngest player to score a Test century in Australia. He followed that up with an amazing hundred in the final Test at Perth in conditions more suited to bowlers.

Tendulkar made five Test tours to Australia with only the latest being a disappointment on the batting front. In 1988, he visited Sir Don Bradman at his home in Adelaide to greet him on his 90th birthday.

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BCCI Annual Awards: Sachin Tendulkar to be honoured

Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar highlight the list of Indian cricketers who will be honoured during the Board of Control for Cricket in India's annual awards ceremony to be held in Mumbai on November 21, a BCCI media release said.

Kohli will be presented with the Polly Umrigar Award for being India's top-cricketer in the 2011-12 season. With it, Kohli will have his name added with other stars who have received this honour previously including Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid. The BCCI will present him with a trophy and a cheque of Rs. 5 lakhs.

The prolific batsman was also adjudged as ICC's ODI cricketer of the year earlier.

Veterans Laxman and Tendulkar will also be honoured at the event. While Laxman will be felicitated after announcing his retirement earlier this year, Tendulkar will be honoured for completing 100 international centuries. His 100th ton came against Bangladesh during the Asia Cup.

The other highlights of the evening will include presenting the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award to Sunil Gavaskar and the posthumous felicitation of seven legends of Indian cricket - Vijay Merchant, Vijay Manjrekar, Dattu Phadkar, Vinoo Mankad, Ghulam Ahmed, M.L. Jaisimha and Dilip Sardesai.

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I am Confident of Sachin Scoring a Century Against England : John Wright

Wright also said that the great Sachin Tendulkar should be left alone to take a call on his cricketing career. "Great cricketers like Tendulkar know the pride they carry about representing India. Their awareness level is always high, that's why they are great.

"I've full confidence that he would make the right timing about when and where to finish. But as long as he is there, he would be at full flow," Wright said with a smiling.

Wright was also not too concerned at the number of times Tendulkar was getting bowled of late.

"If I am not wrong, he gets bowled mostly to left-armers. I remember him getting bowled to West Indian Pedro Collins too a few years ago.

"But, I don't think there is a technical flaw or a matter of serious concern. He is good enough to overcome these challenges," the New Zealander said.

"I am really optimistic of Sachin scoring a century or even a double century. For, I am sure he should be acutely motivated to have a go at the Englishmen and the Australians later this year," he pointed out.

Asked whether India should prepare turning tracks to take the home advantage in the upcoming four-Test series against England, Wright said: "You would always want to take the home advantage. But a Test should last the full five days.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar Starts Training With Mumbai Ranji Team Mates

Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar will make a rare appearance in domestic four-day cricket to gain match practice ahead of the home Test series against England.

Sachin Tendulkar was seen going through the paces at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday morning, in preparation for his first Ranji Trophy match in over 3 years.

The 39-year-old, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, was named in a 13-man Mumbai squad for a four-day Ranji Trophy match against Railways starting in Mumbai on November 2.

Tendulkar, whose last Ranji appearance was in 2009, struggled in a home Test series against New Zealand in August-September when he scored just 63 runs in three innings.

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Adam Gilchrist supports Sachin Tendulkar getting Membership of Order of Australia

Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist on Monday came out in support of Sachin Tendulkar being conferred the Membership of the Order of Australia, saying that the senior Indian batsman has helped in forging relations between the two countries.

Gilchrist's former opening partner Matthew Hayden was upset at Tendulkar getting the award and had said that the honour should be exclusive to his countrymen. But, Gilchrist felt the honour was a recognition of the respect Tendulkar receives in Australia also.

"The discussion around his award and the variety of opinion shows the amazing profile that Tendulkar has. Credit to Sachin to have the place he has held in both the countries. He has forged 22-years of relation between the two countries," Gilchrist told reporters at the University of Wollongong conference here.

"I was able to send him a quick message and was thrilled to receive one back (from him) saying 'welcome to the club', because it was the same honour that I was very fortunate to receive. It (the award) is a mark of respect to a great man," he added.

Gilchrist also praised Tendulkar for deciding to play in the Ranji Trophy, saying that it showed the senior batsman's commitment to the game.

"I read he is playing a Ranji trophy match this week, his first one in three or four years. The fact that he wants to go and take that as preparation, with a serious Test series coming up is a testament to his professionalism and commitment to the game," he said.

Asked about Tendulkar's recent form, the retired Australian great said, "A few times in 22 years, there's going to be some trough. I am not saying he is in a trough or not. I am not sure, where he places himself well enough. He has been in that 22 years, we were asked has he reached his peak.

"I am sure he himself doesn't feel he is at the peak of his career. I have got no doubt that his desire and appetite for success remains," said Gilchrist.

On the upcoming India-England series, the 40-year-old left-hander said it will be a closely-contested series between two good teams.

"Most people feel comfortable when they are playing at home in familiar conditions. That will be a huge part. Both the teams stack up well against each other, they are in top four teams in world. Both are pretty evenly-matched and they would like to take a match off the other. It will be hard core and entertaining and I am looking forward to that," he said.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar & Arjun Tendulkar at Practise Session in Mumbai | OCT 28,2012

Record-breaking Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar will make a rare appearance in domestic four-day cricket next week to gain match practice ahead of the home Test series against England.

The 39-year-old, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, was named Friday in a 13-man Mumbai squad for a four-day Ranji Trophy match against Railways starting in Mumbai on November 2.

Tendulkar, whose last Ranji appearance was in 2009, struggled in a home Test series against New Zealand in August-September when he scored just 63 runs in three innings. Sachin Tendulkar and his son Arjun Tendulkar were practising in mumbi on Sunday afternoon. Here are the Exclusive Pics.

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Sachin Tendulkar to miss Indian GP this time & Start Training For Ranji Trophy

Veteran cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who waved the chequered flag at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, will miss the second edition of the Formula One race to play a Ranji match for his Mumbai team.

It has been learnt that Tendulkar, who is a motorsports enthusiast, decided to prefer practising with the team in Mumbai than coming here.

Tendulkar, who is going through a lean patch, is scheduled to play the first match of the new season against Railways in Mumbai on November 2.

It will be after a gap of three years that the senior batsman will play a Ranji match for his state side.

The organisers have invited Sports Minister Ajay Maken to wave the chequered flag this time although they have not got the confirmation from him as yet.

It has also been learnt that Yuvraj Singh, who has made a comeback after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, will attend the high profile race at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday.

Tennis star Sania Mirza and her Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik will also be in the stands as Sahara guests.

Bollywood actors Ajay Devgan and Sonakshi Sinha will also be there to get a taste of the high speed action and promote their upcoming film 'Son of Sardar'.

Also there would be Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara

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Sachin Tendulkar to Attend Indian GP 2012

As the country gears up for the second season of the Indian Grand Prix, Jaypee Sports International (JPSI), organisers and owners of the Greater Noida’s Buddh International Circuit (BIC), expect 70,000-75,000 viewers to watch the race on Sunday.

This will be lower than last year, when an estimated 95,000 viewers watched the race but the organisers say it is in line with their expectations.

Among them will be corporate honchos such as Richard Branson and celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Hrithik Roshan and Sonakshi Sinha besides the Bollywood singer Shaan, who will sing the National Anthem.

According to estimates, nearly 65,000 tickets were sold by the beginning of the week tickets are being sold through portals like BookmyShow besides Café Coffee Day outlets, Mercedes dealerships and stores in malls.

Also See : Pics : Sachin Tendulkar at Indian GP 2011

Askari Zaidi, Vice-President, JPSI, said, “This is just as the international trend; volumes of tickets sold are usually lower than the first season. Also the economic sentiment among corporates has also affected ticket sales. In addition, high air fares and hotel room rates have also impacted plans of some of the fans who were planning to travel from other cities.”

He added that the company has received a good response for its premium seating J P Lounge with nearly 1000 tickets having been booked by corporates, which offers round table seating arrangement besides gourmet food and tickets are sold in the range of Rs 1.5 lakh-2 lakh.

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Aussies have utmost respect for Sachin Tendulkar, says Mark Webber

The decision to confer Sachin Tendulkar with the 'Order of Australia' might not have gone down well Down Under, but the Australian F1 driver Mark Webber today said his country has "utmost respect" for the "incredible" Indian batsman.

"Sachin Tendulkar has just been an incredible cricketer and one of the most amazing sportspersons the world has seen. Australians have utmost respect for him. The government, the people, everyone respects him," the Red Bull driver Webber, said.

"He has set a very high benchmark for every other Indian cricketer and every young player looks up to him. He has scored lot of runs," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, during her recent visit to India, had announced that Tendulkar would be conferred with the Membership of the Order of Australia, an honour "rarely" awarded to non-Australians.

The 'Order of Australia' is an order of chivalry to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service. The 39-year-old Tendulkar will be awarded an AM, which is one of the six grades in the Order of Australia.

Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee and the first sportsperson from the country to get the honour.

Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden had made his displeasure clear when he said that the honour should be "exclusive" to his countrymen and only they should be conferred with such awards.

However, the 36-year-old Webber had a different take on the whole issue.

"We have given the Order of Australia to cricketers from other nations too. They have been doing it for a while now. We gave it to Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara. If we can give it to Lara then Tendulkar certainly deserves it," he said.

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Sachin Tendulkar is our Greatest Kohinoor : Priyanka Chopra

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra sang praises for cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is in line to bag the title of "India's Prime Icon". She called him the country's "greatest Kohinoor".

"I think Sachin Tendulkar is our greatest Kohinoor. He is not just a sports personality anymore; he is an icon that every young person aspires to be because he proves that dreams can come true no matter where you are from and no matter what you do as long as you believe in yourself and have a passion towards your job," Priyanka said on the TV show.

"No matter if you are young, as young as Sachin was when he started, or even if you don't have people who are pushing you, you just have to believe in your talent. He sells dreams to the young people. He is an incredible icon to have," she added.

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Opening with Sachin Tendulkar a big achievement, says Dwayne Smith

Coming into Champions League T20 as the defending champions, Mumbai Indians might be leaving South Africa without a single win under their belt but for Dwayne Smith the experience has been fulfilling personally as he got a chance to open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar.
 
"At MI you open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar. From the time I was young, I've always admired him as a batsman and to open the batting with him is a big achievement for me. I feel a lot more confident when I'm batting with him," he said.
 
"He keeps chatting to me while batting. Especially if I play a bad shot, he comes up to me and tells me it wasn't the right shot to play and explains me how to go about the game," Smith added.
 
Stating that there was a small technical issue that he was facing before coming to CLT20 but has now managed to sort it out with the help of Tendulkar and MI coach, Smith said, "He (Tendulkar) has been talking to me in the nets as well. I had a little glitch coming from World T20. Sachin and coach Robin Singh have been of great help to me in sorting it out.
 
"I don't have any problems anymore. I just want to move on from it," Smith was quoted as saying by www.clt20.com.
 
Smith said that he had thoroughly enjoyed his stint as an opener during the CLT20.
 
"From the time I started opening, I've enjoyed this role and I still am enjoying it. As an opener you get the better part of the game.
 
"It's challenging as sometimes you have to build the innings, while at times you have to go after the bowling. The first six overs are the opportunity for me to play to my strength and attack the ball. It's good for me and I like it.
 
Meanwhile, speaking about his Mumbai Indians' dismal performance during the tournament, Smith said that the team failed to click as a unit.
 
"I just think we didn't play as a team. The batting or bowling didn't come together. We know where we went wrong. We will all go back to the drawing board and learn from our mistakes," he insisted.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar in Action vs Sydney Sixers

 Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh said the defending champions paid the price for a slow start in their 12-run loss to Sydney Sixers in a Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 at Kingsmead on Monday.

Mumbai Indians' disastrous campaign in the tournament came to an end with their third defeat in four matches as they failed to perform as a unit in high-pressure situations, thus ending on a winless note.

"This was a kind of a game that hurt more than last few games. 137 was very much gettable, not just in 20 overs, but 18 overs. I think we batted too slow in the opening part and didn't look to carry on," said Harbhajan at the post-match presentation ceremony.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar with fans in South Africa

Their title defence having ended early with a whimper, Mumbai Indians would look to salvage some of their battered reputation with at least a win when they take on Sydney Sixers in an inconsequential Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 here on Monday.

Mumbai Indians came into the tournament as one of the favourites with a star-studded squad but they have failed to live up to their reputation, losing two matches and one game being abandoned due to rain.

Group toppers Sydney Sixers, along with Highveld Lions, have cashed in onto the disappointing show by Mumbai and the other IPL team in the group, Chennai Super Kings to qualify for the semifinals with three wins on the trot.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar in Action VS Chennai Super Kings

 Lasith Malinga's five-wicket haul and Dinesh Karthik's whirlwind 74 went in vain as Chennai Super Kings eked out a narrow six-run win over Mumbai Indians in an inconsequential Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 on Saturday.Even before the first ball was bowled, the match was rendered a dead-rubber after Lions notched up a five-wicket victory over Yorkshire earlier today to become the second team from Group B to reach the semifinals, thus knocking out both Chennai and Mumbai Indians. 

However, both the IPL teams ensured that the spectators at the New Wanderers stadium don't go back disappointed as they enthralled them with an edge-of-the-seat thriller which went down to the wires. 

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar in Action VS Yorkshire

Rain played spoilsport as the Champions League Twenty20 match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Yorkshire was on Thursday called off just before the former team completed their innings on Thursday. Mumbai were 109 for five in the 15th over but captain Harbhajan Singh would not give up without a fight. He lifted Rafiq for two sixes from the three remaining balls after Rayudu's dismissal and then Pollard struck a six and two fours off Rashid to give Mumbai the chance of a challenging total. 

Harbhajan departed soon after while trying for a big hit off Rashid just before rain came.

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Sachin Tendulkar to play for Mumbai in their Ranji opener

It looks like the stars are finally smiling on the Ranji Trophy. The Indian cricket board officials couldn’t have dreamed of a better opening for their premier domestic tournament than the one they will get on November 2, for they will have the entire star cast of Indian cricket lined up for the domestic tournament.

If Mumbai will have Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in their home game against Railways, Delhi will have Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma against Uttar Pradesh.

Punjab’s Ranji hopes also got a boost after India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and southpaw Yuvraj Singh were named in the state squad. While Harbhajan has been given the responsibility of leading the side, Yuvraj has confirmed his availability for at least the first two rounds.

It is another matter that the reason for these big names’ show of interest in playing the opening games is linked to the England Tests series at home starting on November 15. Those who are certain of their place in the squad are looking at it as an opportunity to gain match fitness, while others see it as a chance to stake claim to the national squad.

Many a time, Tendulkar has turned up for his home team in the semifinal or final, but it will be one of those rare occasions when he will be part of the opening fixture. The master has been forced to include the match in his preparation plan to overcome rustiness. After a below-par showing against New Zealand, the pressure is on him to start strongly against England.

“There’s no substitute to match practice. One long innings in a match is equal to one month of batting in the nets. Playing the Ranji game will be the ideal preparation for Tendulkar. Having him in the side will be great for the Mumbai team as well; they cannot hope for a better start to the season,” said former Mumbai coach Praveen Amre.

Yuvraj has staked a strong claim to Test recall with a double century for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals against Central, and the Ranji games will provide him with another opportunity to impress the selectors.

“Technically, I have three 4-day games (the Duleep Trophy semifinal and two Ranji Trophy matches) before the team for the England series is announced,” Yuvraj had said a few days back.

Among the Delhi boys, all eyes will be on Sehwag, Gambhir and Ishant Sharma.

For Kohli, it is about match practice but the selectors will be following the performance of the three seniors. The opening partnership of Sehwag and Gambhir hasn’t clicked for long and Sharma’s strike-rate in the England and Australia series.

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Feel privileged, says Sachin Tendulkar on honour Down Under

Veteran Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said it is a great honour to have been conferred with the membership of the Order of Australia. The decision to honour the cricketer was announced by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her visit to a cricket clinic here.

The 39-year-old cricketer, in a statement, said that he felt privileged at having been honoured. "I indeed feel privileged and honoured at receiving this recognition. As an Indian cricketer, I have always enjoyed playing against and in Australia and feel it is one of the great cricketing rivalries, which is pivotal to the health of our game," he said.

Tendulkar also said that he hopes that the honour further improves ties between the two countries and that he has 'always received tremendous affection from the Australian cricket fans.'

Interestingly, there was an uproar on Twitter after Gillard's decision to honour Tendulkar with Australian fans criticising their prime minister's decision citing Tendulkar's role in the monkeygate scandal involving the countries' cricket teams.

Gillard though said while announcing the decision that cricket is a great bond between the two nations. "We are both cricket-mad nations. I am very pleased that we are going to confer on Sachin Tendulkar, membership of the order of Australia (AM)."

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Sachin Tendulkar to be made member of the Order of Australia

India's record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar is to be conferred with membership of the Order of Australia, visiting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Gillard, currently on a three-day state visit to India, told reporters that Tendulkar deserved the "special honour" because he was a "very special cricketer".

"Cricket is of course a great bond between Australia and India. We are both cricket-mad nations," she said.

"I am very pleased that we are going to confer on Sachin Tendulkar the membership of the Order of Australia.

"This is a very special honour very rarely awarded to someone who is not an Australian citizen or an Australian national."

The award will be conferred on the 39-year-old Tendulkar during Australian minister Simon Crean's upcoming visit to India, Gillard said.

There was no immediate comment from Tendulkar, who is in South Africa representing the Mumbai Indians team in the Twenty20 Champions League.

Tendulkar has scored a world record Test (15,553) and one-day (18,426) runs and has also compiled an unprecedented 100 international centuries.

West Indies batting great Brian Lara was honoured with the membership of the Order of Australia in 2009.

Former attorney-general Soli Sorabjee is the only other Indian to have received the award.

Tendulkar's popularity in Australia was cemented when legendary cricketer Don Bradman said he was reminded of his own batting after watching the Indian play.

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Sidhu reminisces about Sachin Tendulkar on Bigg Boss

Inmate Navjot Singh Sidhu, known for his peace making ways on Colors' Bigg Boss, reminisces about Sachin Tendulkar: the legend of the cricketing world!

In an interesting anecdote, Sidhu shares moments from the history of Indian cricket particularly about Sidhu's first tour with Tendulkar in Pakistan in 1989.

In the Bigg Boss house, Sidhu talks about the India Vs Pakistan match where India was almost losing the game with a score of 24-4. Sidhu was batting with Ravi Shastri who got out to a bouncer by Waquar Younis and the score became 24-5. Sidhu was intimidated by the fierce Waquar Younis & Wasim Akram. When Sachin came out to bat, the first ball he faced was a bouncer that hit Sachin's nose and he started bleeding profusely. The young gun did not get scared and matched eye to eye with the scary Waquar Younis!

Sidhu also revealed that he did not have the guts to look into Waquar's eyes and he would literally look at the sky every time Waquar looked. Sachin was so brave that with a bleeding nose filled with cotton wool, Sachin walked up to Sidhu and said, "Main Khelega". Sidhu was shell shocked by the youngster's guts! Well, India ended up saving face as the match came to a draw and Sachin ended up scoring 57 not out and Sidhu scored 97 not out!

The duo surely saved the day!

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar in Action VS Highveld Lions

Defending champions Mumbai Indians started their campaign on a disappointing note, losing to Lions by eight wickets, in their opening match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The catalysts for Lions' victory were Neil McKenzie (68 not out off 41 balls) and 19-year-old Quinton de Kock (51 not out off 33) as the duo helped the side chase the target of 158 with seven balls to spare at the New Wanderers Stadium.

Mumbai posted 157 for six after being invited to bat and then failed to find an answer for McKenzie and de Kock's joint assault that left them bruised and battered.

For the record, Mumbai had lost to Lions in the second edition of the event two years ago.

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