India's world batting record holder Sachin Tendulkar is poised to become cricket's most-capped Test player on Tuesday, adding another milestone to one of the sport's most accomplished careers. Tendulkar will overtake former Australian captain Steve Waugh when he takes to the field for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval for his 169th match.
The 37-year-old has also played 442 one-day internationals, just two behind Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya's record of 444 appearances. Tendulkar, who was 16 when he made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989, is the leading run-scorer and century-maker in both Test and one-day cricket. He has scored 13,742 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 56.08, with 48 centuries and 55 half-centuries.
In his 442 one-dayers, he has accumulated 17,598 runs, including 46 centuries, including the first double-hundred in the limited-overs format against South Africa earlier this year. Tendulkar opted out of the Twenty20 version at the international level after just one match, although he still plays the shortest format in the domestic Indian Premier League.
Besides his record-shattering batting feats, Tendulkar has also claimed 44 Test and 154 one-day wickets, bowling both seam and leg-spin. "It's been a privilege to play for India for so long, because it was my dream to represent the country," Tendulkar told reporters on Monday. "Cricket is my passion. I think it is a gift from God that I have been able to live that passion for so many years. It's just fantastic."
Asked to reveal the secret behind such a long and successful career, Tendulkar said: "I have always prepared well before every match and made sure I was on top of my game when I went in. Among cricketers still playing, Australian captain Ricky Ponting is next in line with 146 Tests, followed by Rahul Dravid of India (141) and South Africans Jacques Kallis (140) and Mark Boucher (134).