Sachin Tendulkar wants 'perfect' Wankhede pitch to greet mother in farewell Test

It's has been a busy week for Sachin Tendulkar so far. Apart from preparing for his final Ranji Trophy match in Haryana this weekend, Tendulkar has been talking to Mumbai Cricket Association officials to ensure that the stage is 'perfect' for mother Ranji to witness his 200th and final Test match.

In spite of a 24-year-long career, Tendulkar's mother has never seen her son play an international game. During a public ceremony in Mumbai on January 26, 2011, an emotional Tendulkar had revealed his father's death in May 1999 was one of the "toughest" phase of his life and that it was his mother who helped him focus on cricket again. Interestingly, Tendulkar's mother, who came from a traditional Maharashtrian family, never knew about cricket till she married Professor Ramesh Tendulkar.

Sachin lost his father when India were playing the World Cup in England. "That was the most difficult stage of my life. At that moment my mom said that even my father would have wanted me to go back and play (the World Cup) because if I sat back at home then it would possibly be the worst thing. You have to go and play for your country because that is the most important thing, and that made me strong. That support meant a lot because it was a very difficult moment for our entire family and to go and play a cricket match after just three days was not easy," Tendulkar had said. Despite the personal tragedy, Tendulkar even scored a century against Kenya!

Now it's thanksgiving for the Master Blaster. Tendulkar's 200th and final Test match is scheduled at the Wankhede Stadium between November 14-18. More than handling the Caribbean pacers, Tendulkar's main concern is that his mother, who is wheel-chair bound, has no difficulty in reaching her seat in the president's box for the five days of the match.

After a practice session at the Wankhede on Monday, Tendulkar spoke at length to MCA officials to ensure that his mother gets easy access to the president's box. The lift that leads to the president's box was deemed too small to accommodate a wheel-chair and Tendulkar was reportedly unhappy with the metal ramp shown to him by MCA officials, says a report in the Indian Express. MCA officials has assured that all necessary arrangements will be made for the Tendulkar family.

It has also been learnt that Sachin wants a painting as his farewell gift. The MCA, at its meeting on Monday, commissioned an artist to visit the 40-year-old's house and choose the type of portrait he desires. Interestingly, famed painter and multifaceted Bengal artist Sanatan Dinda, a "close friend" of Tendulkar since 2008, is all set to paint a picture as a memento to mark the legend's adieu from cricket. Tendulkar, who loves to collect paintings, has received three to four works of art from Dinda as gifts whereas he has commissioned Dinda to paint several others over the course of many years.

The MCA has also allotted Sachin 500 tickets for the game - 300 in the North Stand and 200 in the Pavilion. Tickets for each individual day of the match have been priced at Rs 250 while five-day tickets will be available for Rs. 1000. (All ticket prices)