Sachin and his last 25 tests …… time has surely come for the inevitable

Here are Sachin’s stats in the last 25 tests which he has played.
Matches : 25
Innings : 40
Runs : 1616
HS : 248*
BatAv : 47.52
100s : 4
50s : 6

Overall these look to be impressive stats. However, when you dig deep, you will find that these stats are a huge deception. Below I have listed the scores which Sachin scored in last 25 matches and also the match situation when he came in.
Some of the crucial facts are:

• It has happened 24 times that Sachin has come in when India were in trouble. He has played well only thrice out of these 24 occasions. The 3 occasions are:
Sachin scores 55 when India were 2/14 against Aussies in 2004-05
Sachin scores 52 when India were 2/23 against Pakistan in 2004-05
Sachin scores 109 when India were 2/56 against Sri Lanka 2005-06

• 3 out of the 4 hundreds he scored where when he came in with India already being in a great position.

• On 24/40 occasions he has been out with a score less than 25.

• His average is boosted by his 2 not out double hundreds and one not out 194. One double was against Bangladesh, one against Australia when India were 2/128 and the 194* was against Pak when he came in at 2/173.

Is he still a great batter? Does he deserve a place in Indian middle order with people like Kaif, Raina etc on the bench? I guess the stats answer the questions.
Here I would like to mention that I am not against Tendulkar at all and I will be the happiest man if he gets his old form back. But being a true and ardent supporter of Team India, I had to bring this thing up.

Thanks to cricinfo.com, following are the stats.

Match: India in New Zealand, 2002/03, 2nd Test, December 2002
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/11
Sachin scores: 9
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/8
Sachin scores: 32
Result:
New Zealand won by 4 wickets

Match: New Zealand in India, 2003-04, 1st Test, October 2003
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/107
Sachin scores: 8
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/97
Sachin scores: 7
Result: Match drawn

Match: New Zealand in India, 2003-04, 2nd Test, October 2003
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/208
Sachin scores: 55
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/12
Sachin scores: 1
Result: Match drawn

Match: Australia v India, 2003-04, 1st Test, December 2003
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/62
Sachin scores: 0
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: - DNB
Result: Match drawn

Match: Australia v India, 2003-04, 2nd Test, December 2003
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/81
Sachin scores: 1
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/79
Sachin scores: 37
Result: India won by 4 wickets

Match: Australia v India, 2003-04, 3rd Test, December 2003
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/278
Sachin scores: 0
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/19
Sachin scores: 44
Result: Australia won by 9 wickets

Match: Australia v India, 2003-04, 4th Test, January 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/128
Sachin scores: 241
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/73
Sachin scores: 44
Result: Match drawn

Match: India in Pakistan, 2003/04, 1st Test, April 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/173
Sachin scores: 194
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Result: India won by an innings and 52 runs

Match: India in Pakistan, 2003/04, 2nd Test, April 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/69
Sachin scores: 2
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/15
Sachin scores: 8
Result: Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Match: India in Pakistan, 2003/04, 3rd Test, April 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/129
Sachin scores: 1
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Result: India won by an innings and 131 runs

Match: India v Australia, 2004-05, 3rd Test, October 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/34
Sachin scores: 8
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/9
Sachin scores: 2
Result: Australia won by 342 runs

Match: India v Australia, 2004-05, 4th Test, November 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/11
Sachin scores: 5
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/14
Sachin scores: 55
Result: India won by 13 runs

Match: South Africa in India, 2004-05, 1st Test, November 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/294
Sachin scores: 3
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: DNB
Result: Match Drawn

Match: South Africa in India, 2004-05, 2nd Test, December 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/144
Sachin scores: 20
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/60
Sachin scores: 32*
Result: India won by 8 wickets

Match: India in Bangladesh, 2004-05, 1st Test, December 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/24
Sachin scores: 248
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: DNB
Result: India won by an innings and 140 runs

Match: India in Bangladesh, 2004-05, 2nd Test, December 2004
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/273
Sachin scores: 36
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: DNB
Result: India won by an innings and 83 runs

Match: Pakistan in India, 2004-05, 1st Test, March 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/216
Sachin scores: 94
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: DNB
Result: Match drawn

Match: Pakistan in India, 2004-05, 2nd Test, March 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/156
Sachin scores: 52
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/23
Sachin scores: 52
Result: India won by 195 runs


Match: Pakistan in India, 2004-05, 3rd Test, March 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/172
Sachin scores: 41
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/108
Sachin scores: 16
Result: Pakistan won by 168 runs

Match: Sri Lanka in India, 2005-06, 1st Test, December 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/45
Sachin scores: 22
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: DNB
Sachin scores: DNB
Result: Match Drawn

Match: Sri Lanka in India, 2005-06, 2nd Test, December 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/56
Sachin scores: 109
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/42
Sachin scores: 16
Result: India won by 188 runs

Match: Sri Lanka in India, 2005-06, 3rd Test, December 2005
1st innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/52
Sachin scores: 23
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/9
Sachin scores: 19
Result: India won by 259 runs

Match: India in Pakistan, 2005-06, 1st Test, January 2006
1st innings:
DNB
2nd innings:
DNB
Result: Match Drawn

Match: India in Pakistan, 2005-06, 2nd Test, January 2006
1st innings:
DNB
2nd innings:
DNB
Result: Match Drawn

Match: India in Pakistan, 2005-06, 3rd Test, January 2006
1st innings: Sachin comes in when India are: 2/14
Sachin scores: 23
2nd innings:
Sachin comes in when India are: 2/8
Sachin scores: 26
Result: Pakistan won by 341 runs