The "R" is for...

Relief: Perhaps relief doesn't quite describe it well, but it is a good substitute. The talent had never deserted him, luck had. But so had many people's faith. To the supporter, it is a relief that he do not have to spend energy in hosing down the disbelief of those people, and can go back to more weightier issues.

Riposte: Sachin Tendulkar is a much liked man, so people aren't nasty towards him for personal reasons. But he does have his professional detractors - who have been answered. And how!

Records: The most significant of the many that fell by the wayside: the highest unbeaten score by an Indian in Test matches and that SRT already has three double tons. The floodgates of the big scores have been unlocked and await an outpouring.

Refusal: To get out. To pay both a compliment, his desire to remain unvanquished was almost Dravidesque (can't say Dravid-ian :-) ).

Relishing: Enjoy the moment lads.

Redux: One will have to wait and see if this really is the beginning a brand new phase in his continuous evolution, but one gets the feeling it is. The most heartwarming thing is now Sachin Tendulkar has played almost every kind of innings (bar the matchwinning-in-a-pressurised-situation that eluded him at Chennai) and knows what to do in all of them. He now knows that he can bat for 5 sessions and easily pick up a big score - I'm sure the flavour of that taste would motivate him to try and scale the trees for more such fruit.