If the great man had sat down to write a letter to his fans, reflecting on his life, it might have read something like this

Tendulkar has said his match-winning innings against England in Chennai in 2008 is one of his most memorable centuries. It came after a horrifying terror attack on his hometown, Mumbai.

Tendulkar's retirement - there's plenty still to be said about the decision and the man himself. We round up some of the pieces from around the web and on ESPNcricinfo on him

Tendulkar was the biggest worshipper the game could ever find, and in that lay the foundation of his greatness

In the last 24 years, amid the records and runs and the chanting, Tendulkar's invisible footprints in the game have acted as markers on the road best travelled in pursuit of all manner of careers. Consistency of performance outlives everything else. On tough days, never give up. Shake hands. Share. The trade over the tricks. It works every time

Two days after India said farewell to its most iconic sportsperson, we look what's being written about him, his fans and the country

Sachin Tendulkar batted against New Zealand at the tender age of 16. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck in Christchurch but went on to make an assured 88 in the next Test in Napier. A former New Zealand captain jogs his memory

Jim Maxwell is one of the senior-most radio commentators in cricket and has been working with the ABC for decades. During his time, Maxwell has described the craft of a lot of great cricketers. He talks about why Tendulkar is so special.

Tendulkar is gone but his farewell party continues. Dhoni, Manjrekar, Agarkar and writers on ESPNcricinfo try to make sense of the void he leaves behind

There were tears everywhere as Tendulkar bid his final goodbye. There was something about his speech and his actions that touched everyone deeply. We pick out some reports from around the web

Would playing another sport have revealed the "real" Sachin to us? For the answer, we have to turn our gaze inwards. Towards us. To our insolent impatience, our speed of dismissiveness, our propensity to fawn, our alacrity to scorn, our delusion in claiming greatness through our idols.

ESPNcricinfo's India staff, on how it felt to watch Sachin Tendulkar bid farewell to the game

The show is over. The final episode has ended. The music has faded. The credits have rolled. Done with the presentation. Done with the speech to trump all farewell speeches. Now all we have are the memories. All we have are the stories

India closed in on victory in the second Test in Mumbai but the story of the day was a delightful 74. We pick out some reports from around the web

What does it mean to be present at Sachin Tendulkar's final Test? How far are you willing to go? How much money are you willing to spend? Here three fans chat about the challenge of getting to the Wankhede Stadium for Tendulkar's swansong

Tendulkar delivered an emotional retirement speech in front of his hometown fans in Mumbai. He thanked various people who had supported him along the way and urged the next generation of cricketers to "take care of this sport".

Sachin Tendulkar mostly fielded in the outfield in the latter part of his career but in the early years, he was often stationed in the slips

The first day of the Mumbai Test wasn't as much about two teams slugging it out as much as it was about unrestrained adoration for one man. We pick out some tributes and reports from around the web

Once his team-mate, he was later a part of a core group who Tendulkar has sought out to join him during personal training sessions. Here the former Indian medium-pacer gives us an insight into Tendulkar's approach at practice and his desire for reinvention

Two of the finest batsmen of their generation, Ricky Ponting and Tendulkar shared many memorable duels. "He's undoubtedly technically the best batsman I've seen, played against, played with," said Ponting recently

Every Tendulkar fan has a personal story about him, but not many have had the opportunity to meet him and sing for him. Indian playback singer Usha Uthup remembers the times she did just that

Tendulkar has become a national symbol of optimism and pride but when he bats, we still see him as an underdog

More words have been written about Tendulkar than probably any cricketer in history, yet few writers have been able to fully grasp his powers. Veteran sportswriter Rohit Brijnath, a senior correspondent with the Straits Times in Singapore, says no words or numbers or quotes can replace the "experience"

In some ways, we know less about him now than before. The more he has played, the more godlike and inscrutable he has become

Many of Tendulkar's team-mates have pointed out how precise and methodical he is during his training sessions but groundsmen in Mumbai have also seen him train when no one else is around. Here three of them chat about Tendulkar's unwavering work ethic