Sachin

Yesterday, as India completed an innings trouncing of the West Indies in Mumbai, Sachin Tendulkar left a Test match ground for the last time.

As millions of others have pointed out he is by general agreement India's greatest ever cricketer, and among the best ever batsmen of all time. His Test career spanned an extraordinary 24 years, a length which it's hard to imagine being exceeded.

I was fortunate enough to see him play live and of course to watch much more of him on TV. Everyone will have their special memories of him: mine, oddly enough, is of him being given out lbw in an Adelaide Test when he ducked into a Glenn McGrath ball which kept - sort of - low and hit him on the shoulder. 

His farewell speech yesterday just after he'd walked off the field for the last time was masterly, delivered without apparent notes. watch it if you can.