In India nothing is bigger than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. And today he showed just why.
He stops everything for couple of minutes...heart, breath, work...even the life...but at last Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar rewrote the record books today, hammering the first double century in the history of one-day cricket to add another feather to his maestro cap.
The crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior 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) and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar (194).
The little master was on fire and the South African bowlers bore the brunt as they were literally made to bleed runs at the short ground. His sublime unbeaten 200 came off just 147 balls and was bejeweled with 25 fours and three sixes.
He was walking on a pitch freely, timing the ball sweetly. He was not hitting the ball so hard just stick to the basics - timing and placement.
He went past Kapil Dev's 175 with a towering six over long-on. He equalled his highest score of 186 with a pull to fine leg, before Dhoni took over.
In the 46th over, with a flick for two past short fine-leg, Tendulkar broke the record for the highest ODI score, going past the 194 made by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar, and to say that he acknowledged his feat modestly would be an understatement. He didn't raise his bat, merely shook hands with Mark Boucher and simply carried on batting.
Sachin Tendulkar chose arguably the best bowling attack doing the rounds, to eclipse the record for the highest score ever before bringing up the first ever double-hundred in the game's history.
Although in the end Sachin stays at 199 for 10 balls. The whole nation was holding his breath.Indian skipper MS Dhoni hit the form of his life at the other end.
Tendulkar just one short of his double century had two overs to reach the milestone when suddenly Dhoni started taking apart Dale Steyn. As balls disappeared into distant corners of the Captain Roop Singh stadium, the whole nation for the first time perhaps in history, didn't want any big hits from the Indian skipper's bat.
Dhoni bludgeoned Steyn in the penultimate over to reach his fifty in just 29 balls. But India had never been less appreciative. The country didn't want sixes. They wanted history to be made. To make matters worse, Dhoni took a single off the last ball.
Six balls to go. Dhoni on strike. Tendulkar still on 199. Charl Langeveldt runs in and the whole nation chants for a single. But Dhoni smashes it for a huge six. Never has there been such a subdued response in India.Hearts started beating louder but Dhoni connects another cleanly. Another sureshot boundary but a diving Hashim Amla stops the ball and Tendulkar shouts loud - NO - to a second run. The whole stadium erupts. First for Amla. Then for Tendulkar.
Again Sachin batting on 199...3rd ball of 50th over..
Langeveldt to Tendullkar, he pushed a delivery through the off-side and ran a single to achieve a feat which no other cricketer has achieved, first double-hundred in ODIs, takes off his helmet and waves to the crowd, which is on its feet, so are his team-mates in the dressing room, a fan's blowing a conch.
Some graceful moments of Sachin's inning :
3 comments:
Very nicely written.... me and my roomates were literally rofl... Same feelings during this match as urs...
the avid cricket enthusiast says it all !!:):) congratulations to u...celebrate the Legend's victory..:)
Cheers :D
One of the greatest players to have ever played the game, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has been the greatest icon of world cricket for almost two decades now. Ever since his debut way back in 1989, he displayed exemplary skills when at the crease and was immediately hailed as the next genius. Sachin did not disappoint anyone and cruised his way into the record books with each knock. The mid-90s saw him peak and every opposition feared the ‘Little Master’. His batting is based on simple principles and he does not possess any trademark stroke, although the straight drive comes close. Tendulkar's triumph has been his ability to adapt to situations, surfaces, oppositions and emerging victorious. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, and has made runs in all parts of the world. Don Bradman confessed that Tendulkar reminded him of himself and this perhaps speaks volumes of the latter's greatness.With infinite records to his name, Sachin is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. Each time he comes to bat, he carries the expectation of millions of people with him and comes good more often than not, which only reinforces the enormity of this genius. His opening partnerships with Sourav Ganguly marked one of the most successful phases of Indian cricket. Tendulkar is one of the very few Indian players to never be dropped from the team and his consistency in Tests and ODIs is remarkable.He has suffered a few injuries but over the years India has developed firebrand cricketers like Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh who have borne the burden of Tendulkar’s former responsibility. But Tendulkar never takes things for granted and each passing year, he outdoes himself but creating another record. He already holds the record for most runs in Tests and ODIs and most centuries in both forms of the game. He deliberately omits himself from Twenty20 Internationals and that may have been his biggest regret as a young Indian team won the inaugural World Twenty20. As age catches up with him, he picks and chooses series he wishes to participate in. His ultimate goal is to sign off with a World Cup victory, which millions of Indians are hoping will come in his home-town India, in 2011.
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