The Little Masters departure.

An idle the world over, Sachin Tendulkar will be remembered as one of the most significant figures in the history of cricket.

His final match for national side, India, versus West Indies, presented the 40-year-old with the opportunity to finish what has been an indescribably successful career in style, having already notched-up 51 Test centuries.

Although he was unable to add to his hundred centuries, he advanced from his overnight score of 38 passing his 68th Test match half-century, as he helped India to set-up a convincing win of an innings and 126 runs against an indifferent West Indies outfit.

A smart catch from Darren Sammy at first slip off the bowling of part-time spinner, Narsingh Deonarine, cut his final innings short on 74, causing a momentary outbreak of stunned silence, followed by an applause worthy of royalty, a reaction which demonstrated just how big a miss he will be.

The excitement and euphoria he brings, particularly to his domestic following, exemplifies just how much better the sport is for having had such a magnificent talent.

His international career stretched nearly 25 years and, since the very first of his two-hundred test matches, he has been a vital part of India's long-standing command over world cricket.

The Indian selection committee had first shown interest in selecting Tendulkar for the tour of the West Indies in 1989, but they did not want him to be exposed to the dominant fast bowlers of the West Indies so early in his career.

He eventually made his Test debut later that year versus Pakistan, accruing just 15 runs, courtesy of a young Waqar Younis, who also made his first appearance in this match.

Tendulkar has a number of batting records to his name, including most runs and centuries in both Test and one-day internationals.

The veteran has amassed just shy of 16,000 runs in his Test career alone and a total of 34,000 in all formats.

Whilst his individual contributions have been a spectacle for us all, it is also worth noting that, like so many of the past cricket nations i.e West Indies who have dominated particular era's of the sport, his role alongside other cricketing greats propelled India to the top of the rankings.

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh mirror the importance of India's rounded strength with figures such as Rahul Dravid supporting the growth and success of the top order batsmen.

His series of stand-out performances in such a successful outfit made him an instant icon and he is certain to remain a fixture in the hall of fame for generations to come.