Sachin Tendulkar Begins an International Cricket Career

In November 1989, sixteen-year-old Sachin Tendulkar stepped onto the pitch in Karachi to play his debut Test match for India against Pakistan. The national selection committee, guided by Raj Singh Dungarpur, had considered selecting him for an earlier tour of the West Indies but chose not to expose the teenager immediately to aggressive fast bowling. Facing Pakistan's formidable bowling attack, Tendulkar scored fifteen runs before being dismissed by Waqar Younis. In the final Test of that series at Sialkot, a delivery from Younis struck him in the face, yet he turned down medical assistance and continued batting despite a bleeding nose, demonstrating an unusual resilience that marked his entrance into senior international sport.

Tendulkar's progression through Mumbai's cricket network had paved the way for his rapid rise. He was introduced to the game in 1984 by his elder brother Ajit, who took him to Shivaji Park in Dadar to train under coach Ramakant Achrekar. Tendulkar soon transferred to Sharadashram Vidyamandir School, an institution noted for developing top cricketers, where he balanced demanding practice sessions with school competitions. In 1988, he compiled an unbroken 664-run partnership with Vinod Kambli in an inter-school match, a record that stood until 2006. Later that year, at the age of fifteen, he struck an unbeaten century on his Ranji Trophy debut for Bombay, becoming the youngest Indian cricketer to achieve the domestic milestone.