Sachin Tendulkar’s 1983 love story

Sachin Tendulkar and his family at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Pic/Satej Shinde

India batting great Sachin Tendulkar played his 200th and last Test against West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. However, even after a decade, he could hear that familiar sound of "Sachin…Sachin." This time it was from the Vijay Merchant Pavilion as he entered the iconic ground on Wednesday evening for the unveiling of his statue.

Though Tendulkar started his first-class career with an unbeaten 100 against Gujarat at his home ground in December 1988, his association with the Wankhede Stadium started a few years before that.

After Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde unveiled the Tendulkar statue in the presence of former ICC, BCCI and Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar and MCA president Amol Kale, Tendulkar revealed how he witnessed the India versus West Indies Test from the famous North Stand in 1983 when he was just 10. "My first visit to the Wankhede Stadium was way back in 1983. The West Indies had come to India and this was after the [1983] World Cup - the excitement was there. All my colony friends in Bandra - not 10-year-olds, but my brother's friends, possibly 30-40 year olds, decided to go for this match," Tendulkar recalled.

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Tendulkar also revealed how he became part of the famous North Stand gang and enjoyed that game free of cost.

"We took a train at Bandra, got off at Churchgate and enjoyed the whole game. And by the way, I sat at the North Stand. We all cricketers know what the North Stand can do. When they get behind the team, no opposition can stop India and Mumbai.

I was a part of the North Stand gang. I also made a lot of noise, enjoyed the game. On my way back home to Bandra, somebody said, ‘achcha manage kiya na?' [We managed it well, no?]. There were 25 of us and we only had 24 tickets. I asked what did we manage? They replied: ‘Usko Sachin ko chhupa ke le jana pada' [We had to hide Sachin to take him inside]'," Tendulkar recalled.