More than three decades after he first visited Lord’s as a wide-eyed teenager, Sachin Tendulkar was honoured on Thursday with the unveiling of his portrait at the iconic Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord's. The moment marked an emotional full circle for the legendary cricketer, as it coincided with the recently-renamed Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with the iconic stadium hosting the third Test.
However, during the unveiling, Tendulkar and MCC's Mark Nicholas engaged in a rather playful interaction, with the latter poking fun at Tendulkar's record at Lord's. While the Indian great has played many memorable innings in England, he missed out on getting his name on the Lord's Honours Board, a board dedicated to all the centurions at the venue.
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Nicholas introduced the unveiling with a touch of humour, saying, “You didn't get on the Lord's Honours Board. What happened? High-quality English bowling, I imagine.”
But Tendulkar, never one to let such remarks pass without a nudge, gently corrected him with a smile.
“I thought that in 1998, when we played a memorial game, I got a hundred then,” Tendulkar responded. “Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald, Srinath, Kumble, and McMillan... But one normally thinks about having your name on the Honours Board. Somehow it wasn’t meant to happen, but it did happen.”
{{/usCountry}}“I thought that in 1998, when we played a memorial game, I got a hundred then,” Tendulkar responded. “Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald, Srinath, Kumble, and McMillan... But one normally thinks about having your name on the Honours Board. Somehow it wasn’t meant to happen, but it did happen.”
{{/usCountry}}Tendulkar scored 125 in that charity match between the MCC and the Rest of the World XI. Although the match may not feature on the traditional Honours Board reserved for official matches, the milestone remains etched in the venue's history.
Tendulkar's tweet on Lord's honour
Tendulkar penned a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter) after unveiling his portrait at Lord's, recalling his earliest memories of the venue.
“I first visited Lord’s as a teenager in 1988, and returned in 1989 with the Star Cricket Club team. I remember standing near the Pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly,” he wrote.
“Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that’s hard to put into words. Life has truly come full circle. I’m grateful and filled with wonderful memories.”
Tendulkar also rang the Lord's bell to mark the start of play on Day 1 of the Lord's Test.