Sachin Tendulkar’s final stand won’t end the support of his most devoted fan.

Tendulkar will play his 200th and final Test match from Thursday, against West Indies in his hometown of Mumbai.

It is the final curtain on a career that has smashed all manner of batting records, and captured the imagination of a cricket-mad nation for nearly a quarter of a century.

None more than Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary.

The super-fan, known as Gautam, has followed Tendulkar back and forth across the subcontinent for the past 12 years.

Gautam is unemployed but still manages to make his way to every home match Tendulkar and India take part in.

He sneaks onto trains, rides his bike between cities when time allows and cashes in on match tickets left by the Little Master himself.

At matches he stands out because of his full body paint, conch horn and the endless waving of his giant Indian flag.

There’s nobody more upset by Tendulkar’s exit at Wankhede Stadium, though Gautam insists his support of India won’t waver.

But he’s never going to throw his support behind another player in the same way he’s devoted his life to Tendulkar.

“The first is Sachin and the last is Sachin,” Gautam, whose hair is shaved into a map of India and coloured as the flag, told AAP.

“There is no one else.

“I will support the Indian cricket team, but not any individual as I have supported Sachin.”

In 2011 Tendulkar invited Gautam to celebrate India’s World Cup triumph with the team, lifting the trophy together.

“He cannot play forever, but I am very sad,” Gautam adds.

“He is God.”

And as for the final innings? Gautam isn’t predicting a Don Bradman-esque duck to go out on.

“As a farewell gift, I think he will score a triple century for his fans.”