Sachin has told friends: no more ODIs

The final decision could possibly come after the final one-dayer of the seven-match series against England on Saturday at Lord’s, the mecca of cricket. Or, it could be announced when he returns to India, after the one-day series against Australia and Pakistan.

Prior to arriving at the decision, the 34-year-old master batsman has set himself a target of “some good knocks” during the ongoing one-day series in England. And, Sachin’s batting (99, 71 & 94) has been pivotal in all three games that India have won.

During his conversation with friends, Tendulkar had admitted that though his mind was as enthusiastic as ever, his body wasn’t coping well with the frenetic nature of one-day cricket. In fact, Tendulkar had expressed similar concerns to The Times in London recently, hinting at a possible retirement. Stopped in his tracks by persistent injuries to the back, shoulder and elbow, Sachin’s 16-year-old career has been plagued by fitness setbacks ever since a serious back injury in 1998.

However, his hunger for runs in Test cricket is intact — quitting one-day cricket could be his way of stretching his career in the longer version. In fact, former internationals have often said that to prolong his Test career, Tendulkar needs to put a full-stop on the one-day format. Before this game, Tendulkar had scored 15,301 runs in 394 one-dayers, including 41 centuries, 82 half-centuries, 116 catches, 152 dismissals. (Loksatta)