Fans check out Sach, a popular book on Tendulkar, at a stall in Patna Book Fair on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

As Sachin Tendulkar chased down the much-awaited 100th century in Mirpur, Bangladesh, Sach — a book on the Master Blaster — flew off the shelves at Patna Book Fair with a healthy run rate.

Ten copies of the book were sold in the first hour of the fair on Friday, after it opened gates at 12noon, much like India’s run rate in the first 10 overs if Sachin bats full song.

The book, written by senior sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya, has interviews of Sachin, his fellow cricketers like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar, as well as famous personalities like Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Asha Bhosle. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has written the foreword to the book, and it also has rare pictures of Sachin.

“I never thought I would get to see a picture of Sachin dancing with Mohammed Azharuddhin in the dressing room. This book has such pictures depicting rare moments in my favourite cricketer’s life,” said BN College student Rohit Singh.

He added: “I have been looking for this book since it was published (by Vikas Publishing, New Delhi). Thanks to this fair, I now have my own copy.”

Other Sachin fans were attracted by the unique title of the book. “Sach means truth in Hindi. The book lists many unknown facts about Sachin. So, it is an appropriate title,” said Akshay Anand, an AN College student.

Explaining the title, Bhattacharya has written: “The book is titled Sach not because the Kumbles and the Gangulys address him thus. This word carries a double meaning. Sach means reality and truth in Hindi. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is not a midsummer night’s dream. He is not a myth. Or a fairy tale. He does exist in flesh and blood in our times. That, in short, is Sach…”

It is the kernel of truth that has attracted Sachin’s fans to purchase the book.

Singh, the owner of Novelty Book Stall that has stocked the book, told The Telegraph: “It is priced a little high. (Rs 395; but can anything be too high for a player who scored 100 100s?) With 10 per cent discount, it comes to Rs 356. We had ordered a few copies. But seeing the good sales, we have ordered for more.”

After Sachin scored the final run for his ton, Singh said: “I hope more fans will turn up to purchase the book.”