Sachin awarded The Order of Australia

Sachin Tendulkar received membership to The Order of Australia at a ceremony in Mumbai

Simon Crean Australian Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, presents the membership of The Order of Australia to Indian cricketer Tendulkar in Mumbai on November 6, 2012.

Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Minister for the Arts and Regional Australia Simon Crean hold a cricket stump painted by an Australian aboriginal artist during a ceremony at a hotel in Mumbai, November 6, 2012.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who announced Tendulkar's membership to the Order during a three-day state visit to India last month, told reporters that Tendulkar deserved the "special honour" because he was a "very special cricketer".

Sachin Tendulkar described his visit to Sir Donald Bradman on his 90th birthday as his most memorable trip to Australia. He also narrated an anecdote from the visit - he had asked The Don why his average was just 99.94. “Come on, its (99.94) not bad for a 90-year-old man,” Bradman told him.

Sachin Tendulkar said that away from India, Australia is the best place he'd played cricket at and away from India, SCG was his favourite ground. He said that the three and a half months he spent in Australia during his early days changed him as a cricketer.

Tendulkar is not the first cricketer to be conferred the Order of Australia, as in 2009, West Indies legend Brian Lara had also been made an honorary member. The Master Blaster also thanked the Prime Minister and all the Australians for the honour.