Sachin Tendulkar 200 Runs: ODI History Re-Written

Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest batsman ever, created history on 24 feb 2010 when he made the highest one day international score, in the process also making a double century...

While most teams struggle to make 200 odd runs in 50 overs, Sachin Tendulkar showed that he could do it alone, and indeed in a dramatic fashion posted a personal score of 200* not out, helping India to go past the 400 run mark, and consequently win the second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday. In spite of being in the team for almost 20 years, with this innings Sachin has showed that the desire to be the best and play for the country has not diminished one bit. Read more on Sachin Tendulkar, the Master Blaster.

The first double century in ODIs comes after almost 40 years of ODIs being played, including the 60 overs a side matches that were played in the earlier days. These 60 over matches were naturally a batsman's delight as it provided more opportunities to score runs. In spite of that, no one, not one batsman could reach the elusive and highly coveted double century. The closest to come to the 200 run mark was Charles Coventry, from Zimbabwe, who scored 194 not out, eclipsing the record of Saeed Anwar, who had also scored 194, but 'Was Out'. Saeed Anwar's record of 194 stood for 12 long years, and while many great batsman came close to breaking it, no one ever managed it. In fact, the Little Master himself came close once, but ended up being 186 not out. It took a Zimbabwean to break the highest ODI score record, and that came in a match against minnows Bangladesh. Sachin, on the other hand, took the best bowling attack in the world apart, and scored at a phenomenal strike rate of well over hundred. His double ton came in only 147 balls, ensuring that his strike rate was also the 'Best of the Three'.

Records have come naturally to Tendulkar and now only Lara's 400 in test eludes him. But with the way he has been batting of late, this record might also end up being his. And while people may argue that he has not much time left, statistics show that Tendulkar is batting better than ever. A few headlines were even screaming 'Second Coming of Tendulkar', and his innings of 200, with 25 boundaries and 3 sixes, is a testament to this. With 4 tons in the last 4 tests, and his highest 3 ODI scores coming in the last 12 months, Sachin has moved to a higher gear, and this just when the cricketing world thought he was in top gear already.

Tendulkar's 200 not out is undoubtedly the highlight of his career, and what a career he has. Or is having. He is the highest run scorer in both test and ODIs, and has the highest centuries in both tests and ODIs, has scored more than 30000 runs in international cricket, and Sachin's career is far from over.

With impeccable and stupendous batting, his effort in the field too cannot go unnoticed. The famous dive to save a boundary in the first ODI shows Tendulkar's commitment to the game, a game he has been in for 20 years, a game that his records have written and sculpted, a game where his name is compared to God, a game that more than a billion of his countrymen watch, a game where every Indian prays for Tendulkar to score, and score big, a game called CRICKET. And Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, even at 37 years of age, will simply not let them down.

Sachin Tendulkar. A salute to the best batsman in the game. Period.

Nasser Hussain: Mighty Sachin Tendulkar even tops Lara, Ponting and The Don Bradman!

I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday’s incredible game it must be said — Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time.

Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, the other two great players of my era. Better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. And I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself.

Now he has the first double hundred in a one-day international — hitting 25 fours and three sixes as India beat South Africa by 153 runs — he has swung it for me.

I played against Tendulkar on my first England tour, the Nehru Cup in India in 1989, and I could still see that excited boy in big pads in Gwalior.

That extraordinary drive and enthusiasm are what make Tendulkar so special. He has been playing international cricket for 20 years under the intense scrutiny being an Indian superstar brings, so it is remarkable he still loves holding a bat as much as ever.

Halfway through the Indian innings on Wednesday, Tendulkar was already on more than a hundred. It’s almost a given that he will reach three figures. But even he had not turned it into a double in a 50-over international before, and this was not against a lowly side but South Africa, one of the most formidable bowling attacks in the world.

There was no slogging — just pure, attacking strokeplay.

Tendulkar has gone back to being the fluent, almost flamboyant, batsman he used to be. In recent years his innings had become a bit mechanical, but I think he has remembered what made him great.

I interviewed Sachin for Sportsmail when he was touring England a couple of years ago — one of the highlights of my career since I stopped playing, and it was noticeable that he is not driven by money.

He has become a very wealthy man, but that has been as a result of doing what he does best and enjoying it. It has not been the be all and end all for him.

What else is left for Tendulkar now? Well, it is sometimes said that he has not played enough match-winning innings on the really big occasion for India.

What better, then, than to score a hundred in the World Cup final against Australia — or maybe even England — on home soil this time next year.

That would be the full stop that would enable Tendulkar to ride off into the sunset with everything achieved in his career.

My admiration for him is total. To steal the nickname of a certain football coach who led Inter Milan against Chelsea on Wednesday, Sachin Tendulkar truly is The Special One.

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.