Tendulkar blasts a masterly 74

Cricket fans gave a standing ovation to Sachin Tendulkar as he walked out of the pitch as his batting ended at the farewell test match, against West Indies, at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

The `Little Master', however, could not make another 100 to stamp his last Test match. All hopes of a parting century in his last test were dashed when Narsingh Deonarine had Sachin Tendulkar caught by Darren Sammy in the slips at 74. The crowd though, quickly recovering from the disappointment kept up the spirit for the special occasion.

There was pin drop silence for a moment, but the Master Blaster walked back to the pavilion to a standing ovation and cheers of 'Thank You Sachin' reverberating in the air.

 As Sachin walked back calmly, though somewhat disappointed, his illustrious career of 24 years came to an end.

The legendary cricketer's last test in Mumbai saw a full house with celebrities galore in attendance, including Rahul Gandhi, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao among others who came see him in test action for the last time.

As he walked off the pitch, Sachin's body language gave no hint of his state of mind, as he made his way composed as ever through his 24 year cricketing career.

Sachin Tendulkar will remain India's most loved sportsperson and perhaps the most prolific batsman in the history of cricket who scored more runs and more centuries in both Test and one-day cricket than any other player, living or dead.