Sachin Tendulkar will play his 200th Test during the home series against the West Indies in November. (PTI)

Sachin Tendulkar will play his 200th Test during the home series against the West Indies in November. It could possibly be his last.

Talk about world cricket's grand departure has surfaced days after chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil met Tendulkar to discuss his future.

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Patil told Tendulkar that after his 200th Test, it will only be his form and not his past record that will matter when selectors pick the team for future Tests, it is learnt.

Those in the know say that days after the West Indies series was finalised, Patil spoke to BCCI chief N Srinivasan seeking clarity on Tendulkar.

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The 40-year-old has had a lean run on the field over the past few months. In his last 12 Tests, he has scored only two 50s, and his last Test ton was in Cape Town in January 2011.

"Patil spoke to Tendulkar and made him understand the entire scenario. He even told him about the selectors' plan for the next one year and how they were looking to blood more youngsters," one selector told The Indian Express.

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With a number of youngsters waiting in the wings, the selection committee wants to give promising talent a chance.

"We have got a bunch of youngsters and they all have been performing well. No one can question Tendulkar. What he has done is remarkable but we also have to look at the future. We have several talented players waiting to get one chance to prove themselves," the selector said.

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The last time Patil spoke to Tendulkar was on the eve of the ODI selection for the Pakistan series in December. Patil is said to have made it clear that Tendulkar had outlived his ODI career, and that they could not guarantee him a place, especially keeping the 2015 World Cup in mind.

Tendulkar announced his ODI retirement the next day.

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