Agency report
Mumbai, Mar 20: The unthinkable happened on Sunday: Sachin Tendulkar was booed by cricket fans on his home ground, during a Test match that is a landmark in his illustrious career.
Anguish writ large on his face, his eyes downcast, the batting legend walked back to the Indian dressing room at the Wankhede Stadium after yet another failure out in the middle.
He had flirted with disaster by nicking James Anderson to the wicketkeeper after making one run when India needed all his batting skills to fight out England in the third and final Test.
Loud boos resounded in the packed stadium from the fans who for years have treated him like a demi-god. "Tendulkar is like a god in India," Australian opener Matthew Hayden had written five years ago.
In this Test match, his 132nd, Tendulkar became the most capped Indian player in history. It was a special occasion but he had nothing special to offer.