5 lesser-Known facts about Sachin Tendulkar at the time of his retirement in 2013

The raucous Wankhede Stadium which was packed to the rafters let out a deafening cheer after the Indian XI including Sachin Tendulkar made their way out to the middle. Sachin, who had let the public know of his retirement before the game, had ensured his home ground to be a packet of energy during the entire game. The crowd erupted each time the ball would travel to him or be in his access. 

On November 14, 11 years ago, the Master Blaster looked all set for an iconic 52nd Test ton in his 200th Test match for Team India. There crept in a strange eeriness in the stands post his dismissal. The West Indians cut shot their celebration to give the legend a standing ovation as he walked off the field while waving his bat to the passionate crowd.

Sachin did not get to give it another go with the bat as India enforced the follow-on on the visitors. It was almost as if the crowd did not want the match to end, just to catch a glimpse of their icon who had been one of the finest servants of Indian cricket. India ultimately cleaned up the Windies to emerge victorious by an innings and 126 runs. However, the outcome or its magnitude made little difference to the Indian public, most of whom had just lost a long-lasting icon because of which they fell in love with the game.

Emotions surged to an all-time high during the post-match ceremony as it seemed as if everyone was on the brink, including the luminary himself. While plenty of cricket aficionados might have every minute detail of Sachin's 24-year-long international career at the tip of their fingers, there are a few lesser-known facts about the sensation's final game for the Indian legend.

Check out top lesser-known facts about Sachin Tendulkar's last game for India:

5. Sachin's famous Dressing room to field walk

There might be a lot of renowned photographs taken in the history of cricket, but few of them capture the essence of the sport better than Sachin's walk to the pitch down the iconic stairs of the Wankhede. Taking a quick peak at the sun across the stands through the grill of his helmet with his batting equipment, he walked to the base of the staircase.

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Speaking of the spectators, they were seated adjacent to the flight of steps, while simultaneously echoing "Sachin..Sachin" chants, encouraging the 'Bharat Ratna' for one last time. Besides, in a generous initiative, the apex cricket governing body aka BCCI allowed fans to win digital autographs of the legendary batter.