Coca Cola to roll out 7.2 lakh cans featuring Sachin Tendulkar

Coca Cola India will roll out 7.2 lakh 'golden cans' featuring batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar to commemorate his historic 100th century earlier this month.

"We have put 7.2 lakh golden cans and we don't think they will last many days," Coca Cola India - director marketing Wasim Basir said.

"Wherever we traditionally distribute cans, these cans would be available there," he added.

The 38-year-old cricketer scored his 100th international century against Bangladesh in an Asia Cup match on March 16, scoring 114 off 147 deliveries.

While nine of such cans in different colours have been launched in the markets in 2011, displaying the centuries personally picked by Sachin, the 10th limited edition Golden Can was put on hold awaiting his 100th hundred.

The golden cans will be available for Rs 20. "This is the first time in history of Coca Cola India we are honouring someone....This is the first time we have agreed to put a face on our cans," he said.

Let Sachin enjoy the moment, stop retirement talks: Shane Warne

Australian spin legend Shane Warne pleaded for an end to the talk of Sachin Tendulkar's retirement as he joined the international chorus of appreciation for the iconic Indian cricketer who scripted history by completing a century of international tons.


Apart from his close friend Warne, cricket legends such as Sir Vivian Richards, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, Ian Botham, Rahul Dravid, Keven Pietersen and Tony Greig were among those who paid glowing tributes to the champion batsman.

"Congrats to Sachin on reaching his 100th international 100 - just awesome buddy. Please press no retirement Q'S and let Sachin enjoy the moment," Warne tweeted after Tendulkar reached the milestone against Bangladesh in an Asia Cup match in Mirpur on Friday.

The 114-run knock ended a year-long wait for the 38-year-old star batsman, whose 99th ton came during a World Cup match against South Africa in March 2011.

Tributes continued to pour in for the veteran from other parts of the world as well with former England captain Tony Greig calling him a fine ambassador of the game.

"Just woke up to the wonderful news that Sachin has made that century. Great player and wonderful ambassador for our great game," he said.

"Well played Sachin the little master...!!!" added legendary all-rounder Ian Botham.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is in Sri Lanka for a series, said the effort was way beyond imagination.

"Seriously has anyone actually thought about what Sachin has done here?? 100 100's!!!! Absolutely unbelievable.. Batters dream!" he said.

Tendulkar's former teammate and the recently-retired Rahul Dravid marvelled at his genius.

"What stands out in an exceptional career of unbelievable achievements is Sachin Tendulkar's ability to change, adapt and mould his batting according to the conditions around him. What makes him a phenomenal player is that he has done so many things, be it scoring the highest number of Test and one-day runs or scoring a century of international centuries," he said.

"What he has done is set a benchmark for future generations which, probably, would be almost impossible for anyone to emulate. He has created a new milestone, which to my mind, is like Don Bradman's average of 99.94, the most memorable feat that any cricketer has achieved.

"Like overtaking Bradman's average appears almost impossible today, Sachin's century feat too will in all probability stay forever," he added.

Similar words of appreciation came from former Australian captain Ian Chappell.

"The skill, the tenacity and the competitive urge still flows freely through the veins of Tendulkar. He seemed destined to conquer the batting Mount Everest from the moment it was said about him as at the age of 17, Tendulkar scored his first Test century at Old Trafford," he said.

"The fact that Tendulkar has handled fame so well and maintained an attacking outlook throughout is a tribute to not only his skill but also his wonderfully alert mind.

"Considering the length of his career and the fact that he was able to renew his attacking desires, I would now rate Tendulkar slightly ahead of Brian Lara and comfortably in front of a fading Ricky Ponting."

West Indies legend Viv Richards described Tendulkar as a "genius" when it comes to ability and a "Trojan" when it came to work ethics.

"I believe Sir Donald Bradman is the greatest of them all, but seeing Tendulkar bat, I can say that when he is in top flight, in a variety of conditions, I have seen the best.

"He has been a genius when it comes to ability, a Trojan when it comes to work ethic and manic when it comes to his focus. Yet we often miss the little things that make him both human and exceptional", Richards said.

"As a sportsman, I know how damaging an injury can be. For a batsman, an elbow injury and corrective surgery could be akin to a professional death knell. But the way Sachin overcame those setbacks and played at the highest level with unmatched distinction is special", he said.

Richards felt Tendulkar has earned the right to decide when to hang his boots.

"Friday's century was a testimony to Sachin Tendulkar's self belief and his unwavering focus. Many of his contemporaries who were spoken of in the same breath did not have the hunger and focus, which is why Sachin stands alone at the summit.

"And let it not be forgotten that he is no dour batsman, he still plays thrilling shots and has entertained more fans than any batsman has in the history of the game. All this with humility, bearing the burden of his team's batting and the expectations of his millions of fans," he said.

"I think Sachin has earned the right to decide when exactly he wants to put down his bat. He is mature and sensible individual and more importantly a very proud cricketer. He is not going to continue if he feels he is not performing up to his standards," he added.

Veteran Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi also took to Twitter to appreciate Tendulkar's feat.

"...I guess chant today goes Sacccchiiiinnnn, Sachhhhhhiiiinnn.. Hmmm I have been chanting that for twenty years."

England Test captain Andrew Strauss also congratulated Tendulkar for reaching a milestone that might remain unsurpassed.

"Sachin is a player by which all others are measured over the last 10-15 years, and for him to go out and get a hundred hundreds is an amazing achievement without precedent - it's unlikely to be achieved again,"

Former England captain Nasser Hussain said even if the 100th ton had not come about, Tendulkar would still have remained a great player.

"Don Bradman is sometimes remembered, unfairly, as the batsman who did not quite average 100 in Test cricket. And there was a danger, as we all waited for Sachin Tendulkar to reach three figures again, that he would be remembered for the one international century he did not score, rather than the 99 he did. That would have been a shame - and completely unjust," he said.

"You could tell after he tucked that single off his pads on Friday in Dhaka how much it meant to him. He's been criticised in the past for being a closed book, a guy who doesn't show his feelings too easily. But you could see the more human side of him after he took his helmet off to celebrate," he added.

"...he's done it and no one can ever take the achievement away. Finally, he can move on. The mother of all monkeys has been removed."

100th hundred the toughest of them all - Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has said his 100th international hundred "was the toughest of them all", after achieving the milestone against Bangladesh, in Mirpur, during the Asia Cup. Tendulkar went 33 innings without a century between India's group match against South Africa in the World Cup and Friday's game in Mirpur, and admitted it had been a "tough phase". He said he had not really started thinking about the 100th hundred until the media began to talk about it, but it had started to play on his mind after a while.

"Yes, I have to be honest. I am human and I have emotions so I was frustrated. It does play on your mind," Tendulkar said at the post-match press conference.

During the mid-innings break, he had explained to television commentator Ramiz Raja how he had not been able to get away from talk about his 100th hundred. "It's been a tough phase for me. I started off the season batting reasonably well. I was luckless. I am not playing only for my 100th hundred. It doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.

"I was not thinking about the milestone, the media started all this; wherever I went, the restaurant, room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because nobody talked about my 99 hundreds."

Despite the struggle to get to his 100th hundred and the pressure that that had built up around it, Tendulkar was able to joke about having finally achieved it, saying he had shed "50 kilos" with the 114 he made on Friday.

Tendulkar took 36 balls to go from 80 to 100 in Mirpur, but insisted he was not playing for the record. "The hundred was not the only thing on my mind. I was thinking about getting a good total for the team. When I looked at the scoreboard, I was looking at the run-rate and what we needed to do; I was avoiding looking at my personal score."

The wait for the milestone, Tendulkar said, had made him realise the value of an international century, while the varying opinions on whether or not he should continue his pursuit had not affected him. "After scoring 99 tons you are made to realise the value of a hundred. It's not easy, it was a testing period, but there were many people who helped me.

"There are opinions, some for some against. I don't read them, I have a job to do. Ups and downs are a part of life, there is no person who has not experienced it, and they teach you a lot in life.

"I am glad about the journey. It has tested my patience, my character. So many people have had questions, I don't read any of them. Somebody who has not gone through this will have only questions, not answers."

When asked about what lay ahead, Tendulkar was firm that he was not yet considering retirement, in fact mentioning that he was glad the milestone was "out of the way, so I can focus on the matches now".

"When I consider retirement, don't worry, I will not hide it from anyone. I will play as long as I am enjoying it and as long as I can contribute to the team. I don't play for milestones; that is a perception created by a few members of the media. I play cricket because I enjoy it."

In the mid-innings break, when Ramiz asked Tendulkar what message he wanted to send to youngsters who witnessed him make history, Tendulkar said it was important to never give up on chasing your dreams. "Enjoy the game and chase your dreams," he said. "Dreams do come true. I had to wait for 22 years for India to win the World Cup."

I have scored 100 out of 100 in terms of commitment: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar may have had to wait close to a year to achieve the historic feat of scoring 100 international centuries but the delay was certainly not due to any lack of effort, with the star batsman giving himself a mark of "100 out of 100" in terms of effort and commitment.

"There is one thing I can put my hand up and say that I am 100 percent sure about my effort and commitment. If they were lacking, then there would have been a question mark but in those areas in my book, I scored a 100 out of 100," Tendulkar told reporters on Saturday.

The 38-year-old batsman said he was sure that the 100th century would come and it was just a matter of not taking things for granted.

"It is all about belief. I knew it will come but it was important that you don`t take things for granted and keep working the way you usually do. Scoring runs and not scoring runs will always come across and it is part of a career and you can experience that when you have played long enough.

"I was pretty confident about what I was doing and the technique was right and I had the right people around me and I want to thank them," the legendary batsman said.

Tendulkar said that at one level, he could find a connect with Roger Federer considering the his wait for the World Cup was just like tennis legend`s wait for his elusive French Open title.

"I don`t know obviously what Federer had gone through but I am sure it was tough. I would not compare my 100th century with the French Open, rather it would be the World Cup. I had to wait 22 years and that wait was much longer."

After completing his century, it was a sense of relief for Tendulkar for achieving a feat that could remain unconquered for years to come.

"I have to admit I was relieved. This is now out of the way and I can start a new chapter. It was possibly the toughest phase of my life. There was so much hype and attention about the 100th hundred. "I thought I possibly batted the best in my life, got close in a couple of games but I couldn’t achieve that. There are no specific reasons for that. At times I was luckless. Sometimes you need to have luck on your side to cross the final hurdle," Tendulkar said.

The iconic batsman said that he wished he had "somebody to guide him" about the anticipation and subsequent disappointment that was attached each time he failed to get past the three-figure mark in recent times.

"This anticipation and disappointment when I didn`t get was way too greater than anything else. I don`t know how to explain this to you. I wish there was someone to guide me, about how to deal with this. I am not complaining but it happened for the first time and I don`t know how to explain this. It has been a tough journey," he said.

A devoted family man, Tendulkar felt that his family and close group of friends have been the pillar of strength for him.

"My family and friends stood right behind me, with me and I could speak my mind with them. I could explain my frustrations to them. I could express my joy with them, the happiness that I couldn`t score a hundred but I still could bat well and that is a positive thing and that I am doing something important for the team."

"In Delhi, I went in to bat in the second innings and it was a critical phase and we won that game but people were only talking about how I missed my hundred. Which ever be the manner, they were disappointed.

"So that is something which was always spoken about and it is something that a sportsman doesn`t want. He just wants to enjoy his game and the success of having done well for the team and also doing well."

Asked about some of his favourite centuries, he doesn`t take much time to answer "Perth." He had scored 114 at Perth in 1992.

"Something that means a lot to me is the hundred at Chennai (against England) in 2008. That was really really important to me because of what had happened before that (26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai). Then, the first 100 (at Manchester), 136 in Chennai (against Pakistan) and 241 against Australia at Sydney."

Tendulkar also talked about his kids Sara and Arjun, saying it was important that they lead a normal childhood.

"With Arjun and Sara, it`s important that they lead a normal childhood and not surrounded by the media all the time. It`s alright to get that when he is matured enough to handle that.

"But right now, he is madly in love with cricket and with all this attention and pressure it shouldn`t be such that he starts hating all this. I feel it has to grow on him and there is time and occasion for him to get that. He should have the freedom to express himself as a person," he said.

His highest Test score of 248 is incidentally against Bangladesh and Tendulkar recalled a funny anecdote from that particular innings.

"Possibly the funniest incident of my life took place in that match. I was batting with Anil and while taking a run and passing him, I told him "keep an eye on the second run." And while taking the second one, I saw that the throw was good and I stopped and Anil ran, and the keeper missed.

"I returned to my crease but because I was going for the second run, Anil kept running. Twice, we actually ran in the same direction and on atleast three occasions, we were about to get out but we did not and we had a good laugh."

A teamman to the core, Sachin did not forget to thank the support staff (physios, masseurs, trainers) who had a role in keeping him fit.

"Without the physios and masseurs, life would be really difficult. I like to thank all the phsyios, doctors, the masseurs who helped me, when I was in desperate need. There are a lot of things which happen outside the field and that helps you prepare for the match. I like to thank them. Whatever happens behind the scenes is never discussed but they are equally a part of my success", he added.

Sachin scripts history by scoring 100 international centuries

Sachin Tendulkar has written history by scoring a brilliant century to become the first player to score 100 international centuries.

Tendulkar achieved his long awaited century in the ongoing match against Bangladesh in Asia Cup being held at Dhaka. This is his 49th century in one day cricket.

The anxious wait of millions of cricket fans from India and all over the world has finally ended as Sachin completed his century of centuries by taking a single off Shakib Al Hasan against Bangladesh.
Bat in one hand and helmet in the other, the God of Indian cricket looked up in a gesture to thank his own gods as his team mates and cricket fans in the Sher -E-Bangla stadium celebrated his extra-ordinary feat.

Tendulkar’s record setting century which incidentally was the first ODI hundred against Bangladesh came in 138 balls which included 10 fours and one sixes. This was his 49th ODI century and along with his 51 Test centuries, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is now the only player in the world to have scored a century of centuries - a record which any present or future cricketers may never ever break.