"Thank you for inspiring billions", BCCI pays tribute by recalling Sachin Tendulkar's first and last Test

Tendulkar began his illustrious career on November 15, the day he also walked out to bat for the last time in 2013.

November 15 remains an unforgettable date in Indian cricket as it is on this day the great Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut back in 1989 in Karachi against Pakistan and then brought end an era by walking out to bat internationally for the last time in 2013 against West Indies in Mumbai. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) paid a befitting tribute to the 'Master Blaster' by tweeting a picture collage from the two historic occasions and thanking Tendulkar for "inspiring billions" with his unmatched body of work. 

WATCH - Sachin Tendulkar reveals how he added 'upper-cut' to his game 

"#OnThisDay 1989 - @sachin_rt made his debut in international cricket 2013 - The legend walked out to bat for #TeamIndia one final time Thank you for inspiring billions across the globe," the board captioned the images. 

Tendulkar could score only 15 in his first Test innings before being dismissed by Pakistan legend Waqar Younis. 24 years later, he played a memorable knock of 74 at the Wankhede Stadium to bid farewell to the sport. 

In between, he became the game's highest Test and ODI run-maker, a record yet unsurpassed. The genius right-hander also remains the only batsman to score 100 international hundreds. 

In 2011, Tendulkar fulfilled his longstanding dream of becoming a World Cup winner after leading the Indian run-charts with the bat in the tournament. 

For his contribution to the world game, Tendulkar was in 2014 honoured with the 'Bharat Ratna', country's highest civilian award.