Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Milestone-Man Sachin

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar re-wrote the record books on Wednesday, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his well-adorned cap. Sachin Tendulkar claimed the most elusive ODI record of them all when he scored the first ever double century in the game's 38-year-old history, setting up a 153-run win over South Africa, leading to a 2-0 series win. 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.

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