IND vs ENG: 'Life has come Full Circle'; Sachin Tendulkar reacts after Portrait unveiling at MCC Museum at Lord's, Later rings bell before Match

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A portrait of Indian great Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled in the MCC Museum before play on the opening day of the India and England 3rd Test at Lord's on Thursday (July 10).

The portrait, by artist Stuart Pearson Wright, will remain in the MCC Museum until later this year when it will be relocated to the Pavilion.

Tendulkar is one of the greatest batters ever to have played the game. In an international career that spanned 24 years from 1989 to 2013, Tendulkar scored 34,357 runs in Test matches, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals for India. This total is over 6,000 more than the next highest batter - Kumar Sangakkara with 28,016.

The portrait is painted from a photograph taken by the artist in Tendulkar's home in Mumbai 18 years ago. As the work progressed, so did Pearson Wright's approach, eventually ending with oil on abraded aluminium. The abstract background illustrates Tendulkar's timelessness, unrestricted by any era or specific location. 

This is the fifth portrait of an Indian player in MCC's Collections, four of which (Kapil Dev, Bisham Bedi, Dilip Vengsarkar and Tendulkar) have been painted by Pearson Wright. Unlike the previous paintings, which were full-length, the portrait of Tendulkar is a larger-than-life image of his head and shoulders.

The Lord's Portrait Programme has been running in its current form for three decades, but MCC has been collecting art and artefacts since the Victorian period, opening a dedicated museum in the 1950s making it the oldest sporting museum in Europe. The Long Room Gallery is the oldest and most iconic gallery in sport.

The Club currently houses around 3,000 pictures, nearly 300 of which are portraits.

Sachin Tendulkar said: "It's a huge honour. In 1983, when India won the World Cup, it was my first introduction to Lord's. I saw our captain, Kapil Dev, lift the trophy. That moment sparked my cricketing journey. Today, with my portrait going up inside the Pavilion, life feels like it's come full circle. When I reflect on my career, it brings a smile to my face. This is truly special."

Later, the India legend took to his social media profile to reminisce his cricketing days and memories at the iconic venue.

"I first visited Lord's as a teenager in 1988, and returned in 1989 with the Star Cricket Club team. I remember standing near the pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly," Tendulkar wrote.

"Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that's hard to put into words. Life has truly come full circle. I'm grateful, and filled with wonderful memories," he added.

The legend also rang the Lord's bell ahead of the start of the Day 1 of the Test match between India and England. Tendulkar was then spotted at the Lord's balcony along with wife Anjali Tendulkar.