No Tendulkar gives Pakistan WC hope

NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (AFP): India go into the World Cup without the reassuring presence of retired batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar for the first time since 1992, which surely must bring relief to arch-rivals Pakistan.

Pakistan have lost all their five World Cup meetings against India and Tendulkar, who featured in all of them, proved a stumbling block on at least four occasions.

India and Pakistan face each other in a high-voltage clash at the Adelaide Oval on February 15 to kickstart their campaigns in the 2015 edition of cricket's showpiece event.

Tendulkar, who retired in 2013 as the world's leading run-getter in both Test and one-day cricket, added colour to the World Cup, both literally and metaphorically.

Coloured clothing was introduced to the World Cup when Tendulkar made his tournament debut in Australia and New Zealand in 1992 after the first four editions were played in whites.

Over the next six editions, the prolific Mumbaikar scored more runs (2,278) and centuries (six) than any other batsman in the tournament, ending his World Cup career with a creditable average of 56.95.

Tendulkar often spoke of his dream of winning the World Cup for India, saying he was inspired as a 10-year-old by the country's triumph in the 1983 editon when Kapil Dev's men stunned favourites West Indies at Lord's.

He saw action from close quarters as a ball boy at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium when India co-hosted the World Cup with Pakistan in 1987, two years before he burst on the world scene as a 16-year-old.