MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar, who is still a safe bet in terms of being India's batting mainstay, has not only sunk a million hopes but has left punters reeling for leaving the English shores without his hundredth hundred.

According to a reputed bookie from central Mumbai, while bookmakers' earnings shot through the roof, punters were badly hurt losing hefty sums after India's 4-0 whitewash, the visitors' worst-ever Test defeat in recent memory.

Bookmakers in three cities - Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur - have reportedly made a consolidated earning of Rs 800 crore, the highest earned on the Little Master in the last three years.

Fans waited eagerly to see the No. 1 Test-playing country, and the nation's finest cricketer deliver with customary efficiency. But Sachin returned scores of 34, 12, 16, 56, 1, 40, 23 and 91 in the four Tests played at Lord's, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and The Oval respectively. India not only lost the series, they also lost their reputation and large slices of pride.

According to sources in the bookie circles, bets were placed in three categories on Sachin's prospective 100th ton: If Sachin scored a century in any of the four Tests, punters would have gained Rs 1.40 for every rupee. Match-wise betting took place too. The odds for that were Rs. 2.50 for every rupee. The stakes were the highest for specific innings-wise bets (Eg: 2nd inns of the 2nd Test) fetching punters Rs 4.50 for every rupee.

"This is the first time we enjoyed huge returns without losing a single rupee on Sachin. This has been by far our biggest gain on the Little Master in the last two-three seasons," the bookie said.

"The market was bullish as everyone expected that he would do it in England. And with Sachin, usually the confidence is high," he added.

Tendulkar stood proudly amidst the wreckage in India's second-innings at The Oval, but he fell lbw to Tim Bresnan for 91.