Sachin Tendulkar – 200th Test Match

Early Debut and Rise to Stardom

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar made his Test debut on 15 November 1989 during India’s tour of Pakistan, at the young age of 16 years and 205 days. Facing legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Abdul Qadir, and Imran Khan, the teenager impressed the cricketing world with two fighting half-centuries.

At 17 years and 112 days, he scored an unbeaten 119 against England at Manchester (1990), becoming India’s youngest Test centurion. His tour of Australia in 1991–92 proved to be the turning point of his career. At just 18, he scored two brilliant centuries—148 at Sydney* and 114 at Perth—while the rest of the batting line-up struggled. It was during this series that he was first promoted to the crucial No. 4 position, which he went on to own for decades.

Master of Big Occasions

Throughout his career, the bigger the stage, the better Tendulkar performed. Sir Donald Bradman famously remarked that Tendulkar reminded him of himself—a rare and extraordinary compliment in world cricket.

In the 2000s, he was the senior pillar of India’s formidable batting line-up. In 2008, he surpassed Brian Lara’s record of 11,953 runs, becoming the highest scorer in Test cricket. Tendulkar also holds the Test records for:

• Most centuries
• Most Test caps
• Over 100 Test catches
• Several crucial wickets with his part-time bowling

In 2012, he achieved an unmatched feat—100 international centuries.

One-Day International Dominance

Tendulkar’s ODI achievements are equally historic. He was the highest run-scorer in the 1996 and 2003 World Cups and played a pivotal role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory. His influence shaped India’s rise to the top of world cricket across formats.

Honours and Recognition

A role model for millions and one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, Sachin Tendulkar has been honoured with:

Nomination to the Rajya Sabha (2012)

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (1998)

Padma Vibhushan (2008)

Philatelic Tribute

The Department of Posts proudly salutes Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar for being the only cricketer to play 200 Test matches, by issuing a set of two postage stamps, a miniature sheet, and a mixed sheetlet commemorating this extraordinary milestone.