As Sachin Tendulkar plays his 200th and final Test this week, bear this in mind: he made his international debut in 1989. His first Test series against Australia was against an Allan Border-led team! He has been a presence on the global sporting stage through four different decades.

His sport and his nation changed radically in that time, but Tendulkar remained immutable. His excellence and class could always be counted upon, a precious commodity when you consider where the culture of sporting celebrity has gone.

We can only hope that Tendulkar remains connected to cricket, that he might continue to lend his dignified presence and a moderating, statesman-like influence on the excesses that India exerts on the game. Ultimately, after all this time, it would just be hard to imagine cricket without having the little master around.