Sachin hits 200 for ODI world record

"Little Master" Sachin Tendulkar hammered a world-record unbeaten 200 not out as India posted a massive 401-3 against South Africa in the second one-day international at Gwalor on Wednesday.

Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (194) were the joint-record holders for the highest individual score before Tendulkar became the first batsman to hit a double-century in one-dayers.

Tendulkar, 36, reached the milestone in the last over when he took a single off paceman Charl Langeveldt, much to the delight of the huge, cheering crowd at the stadium.

The veteran Indian opener smashed 25 fours and three sixes in his 147-ball knock for his 46th one-day hundred in the day-night match to boost his team's hopes of clinching the three-match series.

One Day International cricket, since its 1971 inception, had to wait nearly four decades to see a batsman score 200. And as Tendulkar set on his way back to the pavilion with skipper Dhoni, after the completion of the Indian innings, a tumultuous celebration greeted him.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on congratulated Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first cricketer to score a double ton in One-day internationals and said the “master batsman” has climbed the Mt Everest of the game. “Sachin Tendulkar has yet again rewritten the record books of cricket, by climbing yet another Mt Everest of the game,” Patil said in a message. She said in setting a new benchmark for the highest score by a batsman in One-day internationals as well as in notching up a double century, “the master batsman has set stiff targets” for future generation of cricketers to break.

Terming it a “magnificent achievement”, the Prime Minister said that Sachin has led by “example and that all Indians are proud of his achievement“.

- Asian Tribune -