Indian media hail Sachin Tendulkar's double century

Indian newspapers have hailed cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's feat of creating the first double century in the history of one-day internationals on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old hit 25 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 200 off 147 balls as India thrashed South Africa by 153 runs in the city of Gwalior.

Tendulkar is already the leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.

Several leading former players from around the world have also paid tribute to Tendulkar's achievement.

Writing for cricinfo, former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar said nobody deserved the record better than Tendulkar.

"He has got so many very good hundreds, but he needed that one knock that would create history," he wrote.

"He doesn't have a triple hundred in Tests, he doesn't have the quickest fifty or hundred [in ODIs] or the fastest hundred in Tests. He has just got loads of very good Tests and ODI hundreds."

"So this is something he will specially cherish. He has that one individual innings that he can be really proud of."

'Eye of the tiger'

The Indian Express newspaper carried a photograph of Tendulkar raising his bat after the feat - it was captioned: "God!"

"The record has come late in Tendulkar's career, a career in which India remained in the game far too often and for far too many stretches just by his very presence," the newspaper wrote .

"For that reason, for the sense that Tendulkar now plays in a team that has to win without him, the record is timely."

"200 Not Out", headlined the Hindustan Times newspaper.

"Tendulkar remains the flag bearer of the increasingly dwindling phenomenon of quantity matching quality," the newspaper said .

Business newspaper, The Economic Times, led with the headline, "Two-Tonner Tendulkar".

"[Tendulkar's innings] is a testimony and commitment even as he heads for his 37th birthday. He is looking fit, focussed and formidable as ever, and his timing remains untouched by the passing years," wrote former Pakistani captain, Imran Khan, in the newspaper.

"An absolutely phenomenal record by a truly phenomenal player."

The Hindu newspaper called Tendulkar's innings an "epic effort of focus, flair and dare".

"He is still an explosive athlete; he still has the eye of the tiger."

"Immortal at 200", headlined The Times of India newspaper.

"There are no speed limits on Tendulkar's road to excellence. After two decades of basking in the glory of his sporting pre-eminence on the world stage, India is now privileged to witness the second coming of the most complete and prolific batsman of this age," said the newspaper.

Sachin becomes first batsman to score 200 in an ODI

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar re-wrote the record books on 24 feb 2010, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his well-adorned cap.

The capacity crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium witnessed history on Wednesday as Tendulkar, statistically the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, pushed a Charl Langeveldt delivery through the off-side and ran a single to achieve a feat which no other cricketer has achieved.

One-day international cricket, since its 1971 inception, had to wait nearly four decades to see a batsman score 200. The previous best mark was shared by Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out against Bangladesh in 2009) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (194 against India in 1997).

As the crowd erupted with unbridled joy, Tendulkar, tired but composed, took off his helmet, looked skyward, closed his eyes to offer a silent prayer.

His captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came down from the striker's end to shake hands and hug him.

And as Tendulkar set on his way back to the pavilion after the completion of the Indian innings, a tumultuous celebration greeted him.

The crowd gave him a standing ovation as the entire stadium erupted in euphoria while his teammates were simply ecstatic as they clapped and hugged each other, basking in the glory of their senior teammates.

Tendulkar batted like a man with a mission on Wednesday and the South African bowlers simply had no clue where to bowl.

Once he crossed the 150-mark, the crowd anticipated something special and Tendulkar did not let them down.

A six off Roelof van der Merwe took him past Kapil Dev's 175 not out and in the next over, he hit Jacques Kallis for a four to equal his previous best of 186 not out that had come against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999.

The crowd got restless as Tendulkar approached the 194-run mark and a couple off Wayne Parnell saw him eclipse it.

His teammates and spectators were on the edge of their seat with a double century round the corner but with Dhoni going berserk at the striker's end and facing most of the deliveries, it was an agonising wait for all.

Dhoni took singles off the final deliveries of the 47th-49th overs and Tendulkar finally took strike with four balls left in the innings.

The first ball he received from Langeveldt was steered past point and Tendulkar ran for a single to remain unbeaten after an unforgettable unbeaten 200 that came off just 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes in it.

It was yet another milestone for the man, who has some 30,000 international runs under his belt, including 93 centuries (47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs).

No better bat to score ODI double than Sachin

Saeed Anwar stopped six short 13 years ago. Charles Coventry didn't seem worthy enough. Tendulkar was robbed of it twice last year itself. Finally, the elusive double century is for the master batsman to have, as he lashed South Africa to all parts of the Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior on Wednesday.

Tendulkar's 46th one-day hundred was converted into a double with 25 fours and three sixes, the boundaries alone making up more than a century in his mammoth yet destructive 140-ball effort.

For the Indian batting genius with over 20 years in international cricket, records have fallen by the wayside ever since he took on opening in one-day cricket as Test records continued to break.