FILE - Indian students hold a large poster of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after Tendulkar batted for his landmark 100th century, Mar. 16, 2012.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career.
Dubbed the "God of Cricket" in his home country, Tendulkar took the field Thursday in Mumbai for his 200th and final test match, against the West Indies.
Bollywood celebrities were among those on hand at the sold-out Wankhede stadium, while tens of millions of Indians watched the match on television.
Some cab drivers even offered fans a free ride to the stadium.
"We have started a service for cricket enthusiasts. If they have the tickets for the match, then we would offer them a free ride to the stadium and they can avail the cab from various locations in the city, from where they can go to Wankhede Stadium. And after the match is over, we would drop them back on the same location from where they boarded the cab," explained one cab driver.
Tendulkar made his debut for India in 1989, against Pakistan, at the age of 16. His many achievements on the field since then include scoring 100 international centuries.
He set numerous records and in 2011 helped India win its first World Cup in 28 years.
Now, at the age of 40, Tendulkar delighted fans during his final Test Match as he seemed headed for his 101st international century. However, he was dismissed on Friday for 74 in what could prove to be the final innings of his career.
India's 'God of Cricket' Plays Final Match
1/8School children wave as they hold posters of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar at an event to honor him inside a school, Chennai, India, Nov. 14, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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2/8Indians look at a car shaped like a cricket ball with a portrait of Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar, Hyderabad, India, Nov. 14, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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3/8People walk past a sand sculpture of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar created by Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, Nov. 13, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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4/8Fans hold posters of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Ahmedabad, India, Nov. 15, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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5/8A cricket fan poses for photographers while holding a placard of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar outside a stadium in Mumbai, Nov. 14, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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6/8A cricket fan holds a medal with a portrait of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar while posing for photographers outside a stadium in Mumbai, Nov. 14, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
Show moreShow less
7/8Cricket fans get their faces painted before a match outside a stadium in Mumbai, Nov. 14, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
Show moreShow less
8/8A policeman on a scooter backs out from a parking lot in front of a billboard of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai, Nov. 15, 2013.
Cricket fans across India are preparing to bid farewell to legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after an extraordinary 24-year career
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