Sachin Tendulkar, India’s cricket legend, has announced that he will retire after his 200th Test next month, calling time on an extraordinary career that lasted nearly a quarter of a century.

Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer in both Test and one-day cricket and the only batsman to make 100 international centuries, said he had been “living a dream” since his debut in 1989, but recognised it was now time to call it quits.

His 100 centuries in international cricket includes 51 Test tons, but his last century in the longer format came against South Africa in January 2011.

Tendulkar retired from one-day internationals late last year and played his last Twenty20 match earlier this month in a domestic appearance for the Mumbai Indians.

Tendulkar captained India for several years but the high point of his career came in 2011 when, in his sixth World Cup, he helped India win the coveted one-day title at home in Mumbai.

Known as the “Little Master”, he has been widely hailed by his contemporaries as second only to the Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman in the pantheon of batting greats.

[Text: AFP]