Exactly 31 years back, the legend Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in Karachi against Pakistan during the 1989 tour.

Sachin was selected to play against Pakistan at Karachi, and to be fair, not many expected a chubby 16-year old youngster to take the world by storm.

Sachin came in to bat at number 6, with India tottering at 41-4. With pace engines like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis steaming in, alongside the wily Abdul Qadir, it was baptism by fire for the youngster.

Sachin stroked a couple of boundaries en-route a resolute 15, before being ironically dismissed by another debutant who would morph into a legend, Waqar Younis.

Sachin was picked for all four tests in that series, an indication of the faith the management had in the prodigious teenager. Two gritty fifties were laced with several classy strokes that gave glimpses of his phenomenal potential.

Four drawn Test matches did not do justice to some otherwise riveting action on the field, with youngsters from both sides making bold statements.

Facing a rival like Pakistan in a test match away from home might seem like a daunting task, and such a situation would have unnerved many debutants. Sachin too was nervous on that massive occasion, but he did not go down without a fight.

He remained in the Test team owing to his consistent performances and announced himself with a century at Manchester in August, 1990. His 119 in that Test might have convinced avid cricket followers about his undoubted talent, but few would have imagined that ninety-nine more would follow in his international career.

Sachin Tendulkar’s name shall forever remain etched in cricketing annals. 34,000 runs in international cricket may perhaps be surpassed by a future legend, but such stories of grit and determination shall endure for many generations.