What quality of Tendulkar has actually made him such a huge draw especially in India and worldwide?

1) Tendulkar, at the age of 21, was ranked 1 in ICC Batsmen ratings for Test matches. A youngster accomplishing such a feat was kind of magical.

2) Tendulkar, although made a debut at an age of just 16, was short and skinny little boy, but was never scared of express fast bowlers like those from West Indies, Pakistan or Australia, but instead at that age he had the courage to hook, pull and cut the short pitched bowls against those bowlers. His average so good even though for a major part of his career he was an aggressive Cricketer, yet he has been so consistent, and as we all know, defensive Cricketers are generally more consistent.

3) In ODIs, players who generally average 40+ have low strike rates. But Tendulkar's strike rate is more than 85. He was an attacking batsman.

4) Class: Even his attack was pure class. His cover drives and straight drives were a treat to watch.

5) Yet he was so innovative, and played shots like paddle sweep and upper cut, which most other players didn't. Someone like Dravid would leave a short ball outside off stump, but someone like Sehwag and Sachin, will upper cut it.

6) His humility: He was so successful. His head was touching the clouds yet he had his feet on the ground.

7) He had all the shots in his books.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8659256699_5928...

8) He is also the team's man, as the Indian coach of 1998 said in his interview, referring to his two magical innings known as the desert storm.

This is what I read today in Hindustan times.

The coach of Indian Cricket team in 1998 revealed that he told Sachin that he has to play a big knock against those dangerous Aussie bowlers in Sharjah. The plan was that he will play a big knock and will take on to the bowlers, and others will play around him. He was sweaty that day, the coach asked him not to be nervous. He said that he is just getting ready for the battle.

9) Apart from incidents like this, there have been great examples of courage from this little master. Like, being disappointed on not being picked to play against the mighty West Indian bowlers when he was just 17. Playing against the furiously fast bowlers like Wasim and Waqar of Pakistan, on his debut got hit on his nose. But the 16 year old Tendulkar still continued to make 50.

Tendulkar redefined batting.

I'll quote cricinfo's description about him :

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, the most prolific runmaker of all time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses - anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient at each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

There are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

First Asian Batsman who handled the fast bowling very well with near to perfection.

Edit: Dinith

No, Gavasker taught us the art of leaving the good fast deliveries, to save wicket and body and then hitting the bad deliveries for runs.

Sachin was the first Asian batsman who was aggressive on the fast bowling and who can send the delivery back to the bowler by doubling its speed. He counterattacked the bowling attacks by picking the best bowler of the opposition like Warne, Lee, Akhtar, Akram, Allan Donald, Malcolm, M Waugh, Cronje, Morrison. He might not scored heaps of runs against them but whatever time he played he attacked on their strategies.

He succeeded from a child prodigy at the international stage and has been under scrutiny ever since. His rise coincided with the T.V. age, especially in the Sub Cont.

Cricket became a serious sport here since India's dramatic & fluky 1983 W.C. win and S.L. becoming a full Test playing country in the 80's.

Since then S.T. has been projected as a superstar, along with Inzy, Arvidna, Jayasurya, Murli, Kumble, Saqlain and later Dravid, Ganguly,Shoaib Akhtar, Sanga & Mahela but Tendulkar has the biggest numbers on his side.

He has emerged as the premier ODI batsman & he has great stats in Tests as well, though he lacks certain qualities attributed to the likes of Dravid, Laxman, Inzy, Sanga in the Tests but he has managed to own all the top records in ODI's, which has given him the superstar status.

This is where he outscores Gavaskar, Dravid, Laxman & many other non-Indian great Test players. He has managed to climb the top in both forms, which has given him more limelight than any other cricketer so far.

Many prodigies in line for his records in the coming times, will have to prove themselves in both forms and they are lumbered with T-20 also, which is an extra burden, which S.T. managed to evade somehow. Kohli, Chandimal, Rohit, Cook, Clarke, AB, KP are some of the superstars who can break S.T.'s records but it will take some doing, good luck to all of them..

India idolise him to an extent I've never seen before in any country in any sport. That's not a criticism, but is something that is quite strange & alien to people from other countries like myself. His fame & popularity doesn't extend outside the SC as many think or want it too. In England for example he isn't a household name, mention the words "Tiger Woods" or "Roger Federer" and 10/10 random people will know who they are, "Sachin Tendulkar" you'd be lucky if 1/10 knows him.

Shane Warne always makes the newspapers, he's on adverts on the television. Brian Lara is the face of batting, he finds his way onto video game covers. Sachin Tendulkar doesn't, his fame comes from his following & isn't the draw you suggest worldwide. Obviously within cricket circles his fame grows, but his name won't be mentioned once in the Ashes commentary, which I would imagine is very different in India. I bet his name comes up every day in all walks of Indian life, but that just not the case worldwide.

1.he made us proud...

2.he stood when no ever stood (in 90's and early 00) the way he single handedly handled the opponents.. like a hero...

3.he is so humble and not into any scandals( a guy will be respected a step ahead when his records with girls are clean).....

4. his bating STYLE ....

5. of all he really has a BABY face which was really a + for his character

It is not just the skill or attitude alone. It is a culmination of many positive attributes

The media feeding it down sheeps throats.