New Delhi: Sir Don Bradman finished with a career average of 99.94 in Test cricket, distanced from that magical triple-figure average by a second-ball naught in his last innings at The Oval in 1948. Sixty-three years later, Sir Don's mirror image - as confessed by the magician himself - will try to cap a run-loaded career with a World Cup trophy and 100 international hundreds.
Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who has shouldered the expectations of billions throughout his envious career and has been part of every World Cup since 1992, will once again have a crack at adding the elusive trophy to his shimmering cabinet.
The gentle assassin came lose to winning it for India in 1996 (losing semifinalist to Sri Lanka) and 2003 (losing finalist to Australia) but failed to finish on the right side despite being the leading scorer of the tournament with 523 runs in 1996 and 673 in 2003.
Though he is on the verge of completing a never-thought-of 100 international hundreds (51 in Tests and 46 in ODIs currently), the World Cup trophy continues to elude him but could coincide with this record to cap off a career overflowing with 17,629 runs in 444 ODIs, 14,692 in 171 Tests and 10 in the only T20 international he played before deciding to give youngsters a chance to don India colours in cricket's newest avatar.
Team India is undoubtedly loaded with match-winners with the bat but Sachin's new-found, child-like hunger for runs makes the diminutive run-machine the fire that continues to power India and will undoubtedly be central to India's chances of lifting the cup after a hiatus of 28 years.
Sachin's run-scoring never ceased, other than due to the back injury and tennis elbow that brought some relief to the bowlers world over as it either kept him away from cricket or seriously restricted his run-making prowess.
But the man returned to register every conceivable batting record to his name, making critics look foolhardy for the comments they made while the little master was recuperating.
Sachin, though, will himself admit that while he kept knocking off records, his dream of winning India the World Cup only grew stronger. The nine-month break he took after his record-breaking 200 not out in an ODI against South Africa couldn't have been for anything but to keep himself fresh for the World Cup that is now knocking on his door.
The Mumbaikar returned in the ODI series against South Africa in the rainbow nation but almost gave a heart attack to his billions of fans when he returned in the middle of the series with a hamstring injury.
But all is well now with India's main hope, who has amassed 1,796 runs in 36 World Cup matches, punctuated by four centuries. And with the 2011 edition happening on home soil, fours and sixes are expected to flow with consummate ease.
While nobody wants to believe that Sachin's record-equalling sixth World Cup is probably going to be his last one as well, the batting legend will know that this indeed is his last chance to quench India's thirst of a second World Cup triumph after winning it in 1983 and missing narrowly in 2003.
