When Tendulkar’s retirement was announced, Indian cricket fans had just one destination – Sachin’s last two Test matches – 199th and 200th – in Kolkata and Mumbai. After Tendulkar was dismissed for 10 in the only innings India batted at the Eden Gardens, all eyes turned to Wankhede. As it turns out, the Master Blaster had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organise his farewell Test at his home ground. Not for himself, not particularly for fans either, but for his mother, Rajni Tendulkar.

“Before the series was announced, I got in touch with the president of the BCCI, Mr. Sreenivasan, and made one request. I said I wanted my last match to take place in Mumbai for one reason. In all these years – I played 24 years for India and some more before that. So, almost 30 years in total – my mother had never seen me play. And back then, my mother’s health was such that she wasn’t able to travel. She wouldn’t have been able to get to a venue other than Wankhede,” Tendulkar said on Sunday evening as the Mumbai cricketing fraternity celebrated 50 years of Wankhede Stadium.

“So I requested that I have a last wish – my mother should be here and see why I left home for 24 years. And very graciously, BCCI accepted it and kept the match here. And that match, in fact, was a very emotional moment for me. Because after all these years, it was the last time for me. It’s never going to happen again.”

Sachin wondered if the ‘instructor’ had a ‘West Indian passport’

As the match began, Tendulkar looked in fine flow en route to scoring a fluent 74. He may have missed out on a century, but on November 13, 2013, Wankhede witnessed the Sachin of old as he rolled back the years with a crisp half-century. But as he edged Narsingh Deonarine to slips, the entire stadium was on its feet to give India’s beloved son the respect he so thoroughly deserved. However, during the closing moments of the match, Tendulkar, realising that his journey was over, overcame with emotions, and his life wasn’t made any easier by the broadcasters

“When it was my turn to bat, I had fought all those emotions and walked out to bat. The West Indies team showed a lot of respect. All the spectators gave me a wonderful reception. My eyes were moist, but I had to show focus. And later had to bat, too. But just before the last over, I saw my mother’s close-up on the mega screen. Then they went to Anjali, then my kids. All my family members. I doubted whether the director or the one instructing the cameraman and broadcaster inside had a West Indian passport. It wasn’t helping my emotions. Because he was acting in favour of the West Indies. He was playing with my emotions,” he added.