Dhoni salutes ‘role mode’ Sachin

A teary-eyed Tendulkar bade adieu to his beloved game in his home ground at the Wankhede Stadium, bringing the curtains down on his illustrious 24-year-old career. ‘I think it’s the biggest match in the cricketing history. It’s something we won’t witness again. Thank you Sachin for being such a role model for all of us. Not only as a cricketer, but the way he has led his life, he is a role model for all,’ said Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Tendulkar played the game he loved the most with dignity and left the 22-yard strip as dignified as ever. His feverish retirement bash saw specially-minted coins, embossed with Tendulkar’s image on one side, being presented to match officials.

Dhoni also had words of appreciation for his batsmen and bowlers for putting up an impressive show and said it was a ‘complete performance’ from the team. ‘I think it’s a complete performance from the side. It was fantastic. The batsmen batted really well and when the opportunity came the bowlers got wickets. I think there was much for spinners in Kolkata but the way (Mohammed) Shami bowled, he gave us the edge that we needed. You want that kind of individual performances to boost the morale,’ he said.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy on Saturday said while cricket will immensely miss Sachin Tendulkar, it is good news for the opponents who will not have to live with the fear of taking on the modern day’s greatest batsman on a cricket field anymore.

‘What he brought to the cricket fraternity is incredibly the best. Legends come and legends go, but cricket will surely miss Sachin...not only in India. I don’t know how the dressing room of India would be when it is next Test match and Sachin is not in the XI,’ Sammy said.

‘Opponents would be happy that they are not competing against Sachin. Cricket would surely miss the ambassador,’ said Sammy at the end of the two-Test series, that India won 2-0.

Tendulkar retired from international cricket on Saturday after playing his 200th Test match and Sammy said there would be more than one thing that the cricketing fraternity would miss about the iconic batsman.