He failed to become the most run getter against Australia. Only seven runs separated in getting this honour. At the end of his career he has an aggregate of 3630 runs against Australia. JB Hobbs has totalled 3636 runs against Australia.

Seven runs against Australia would have given 3637 runs and he would then have become the second batsman in the annals of test cricket to total most runs against a specific opposition, DG Bradman has totalled 5028 runs against England.

He has scored 11 test hundreds against Australia. He needed one more hundred to share the record of most hundreds against Australia with JB Hobbs who has scored most hundreds against Australia {12}, If he had scored two more centuries against Australia, then he would have scored most hundreds against Australia

He has scored 16 half centuries against Australia and shares the record jointly with GA Gooch and H Sutcliffe – both from England – who have scored 16 half centuries. One more half century would have given him the record of scoring most half centuries against Australia.

He has played 39 tests against Australia. One more test would have given him 40 test appearances against Australia which would have put in the company of elite five batsmen who have played 40 plus tests against Australia – MC Cowdrey {43}, GA Gooch {42}, DI Gower {42}, JB Hobbs {41} and W Rhodes {41}

He would have become the first batsman other than the England batsman to appear in 40 plus tests against Australia, had he played one more test. He would also have had the honour of becoming the first Indian batsman to play 40 plus tests against Australia.

One more test innings against Australia would have given him 75 test innings and he would have become the fourth batsman in the annals of test cricket to appear in 75 plus test innings against Australia. Others are – GA Gooch of England {79}, DI Gower of England {77} and MC Cowdrey {75}

He would have become the first batsman other than the England batsman to appear in 75 plus test innings against Australia, had he played one more test innings He would also had the honour of becoming the first Indian batsman to play 75 plus test innings against Australia.

He has scored 1000 plus runs against all oppositions except two teams. Against Bangladesh he has totalled 820 runs and against Zimbabwe his aggregate read 918

He failed to score 250 runs in a test innings. His highest test score was 248 not out against Bangladesh at Dhaka in Dec 2004

He shares the record of scoring 22 test hundreds on home soil with DPMD Jayawardene of Sri Lanka and JH Kallis of South Africa. One more hundred would have made him to share the record for most hundreds at home with RT Ponting who has scored 23 home soil hundreds and two more hundreds would have given him the record of most hundreds on home soil

He is one of the four batsman in the annals of test cricket to score 25 plus fifties against a specific opposition – DG Bradman of Australia vs England {31}, AR Border of Australia against England {29}, JB Hobbs of England against Australia {27} and SR Tendulkar of India against Australia {27}. One more fifty would have given him 28 fifties and he would have moved to third position in the captioned list. At present he is joint third in the list

He shares the record for most fifties against Australia with JB Hobbs of England. Both batsmen have scored 27 fifties. One more fifty would have given him 28 fifties and with it the record of most fifties against Australia

He has an aggregate of 1809 runs against Australia in Australia. He needed 191 runs for his 2000 runs. Had he scored them, he would have become the second batsman in the annals of test cricket to total 2000 plus runs against Australia in Australia after JB Hobbs who has totalled 2493 runs.

He has an aggregate of 1809 runs against Australia in Australia. He needed 191 runs for his 2000 runs. Had he scored them, he would have become the fifth batsman to score 2000 plus runs against a specific opposition on away soil. Others are – DG Bradman of Australia against England in England {2674}, JB Hobbs of England against Australia in Australia {2493}, AR Border of Australia against England in England {2082} and IVA Richards of West Indies in England {2057}

He has an aggregate of 1821 runs against Australia on home soil. He needed 179 runs for his 2000 runs. Had he scored them, he would have become the second batsman in the annals of test cricket to total 2000 plus runs against a specific opposition on home soil. The only other batsman is DG Bradman who has an aggregate of 2354 runs against England at home

He has an aggregate of 1821 runs against Australia on home soil. He needed 179 runs for his 2000 runs. Had he scored them, he would have become the first and the only batsman in the annals of test cricket to total 2000 plus runs against Australia on home soil.

He has scored 195 boundary sixes in his one day career. Had he scored five more sixes, he would have got his 200 boundary sixes and with it he would have become the first Indian batsman to aggregate 200 boundary sixes and the fourth batsman in the annals of one day games to achieve the feat. Others are – Shahid Afridi {317}, ST Jayasuriya {270} and CH Gayle {204}

He has scored 6976 runs on home soil in one day games and was shy of four runs for 7000 one day runs. Had he scored them he would have become the only batsman and also the only Indian batsman to total 7000 one day runs on home soil.

Has scored 49 one day hundreds. Had he scored one more hundred, he would have become the only batsman to score 50 hundreds in the annals of one day games

Has pouched 48 catches in one day games on neutral soil. Two more catches would have given him 50 catches. He would have then become tenth fieldsman to have an aggregate of 50 plus catches in one day games on neutral soil. Others are – M Azharuddin {67}, DPMD Jayawardene {67}, ST Jayasuriya {59}, Inzamam-ul-Huq {58}, M Muralitharan {55}, Shahid Afridi {54}, R Dravid {51}, Wasim Akram {50} and PA de Silva {50}

Has pouched 48 catches in one day games on neutral soil. Two more catches would have given him 50 catches. He would have then become third Indian fieldsman to have an aggregate of 50 plus catches in one day games on neutral soil. Others are – M Azharuddin {67} and R Dravid {51}

One more partnership of 50 plus runs with R Dravid would have given SR Tendulkar-R Dravid pair 50 fifty plus runs partnerships and the pair would have become the only pair to post 50 fifty plus partnerships in the annals of test cricket