The record-breaking run machine

Photos

The record-breaking run machine

see larger image

uploaded by momand

By:Muhammad Ibrahim

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Little master Sachin Tendulkar re-wrote the record books during the second One-day International against South Africa in Gwalior on Wednesday to become the first batsman in the four-decade history of the format to score 200 runs.

The previous record of 194 runs was shared by Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (against Bangladesh in 2009) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (against India in 1997).

There can be few more exciting sights in cricket than watching Sachin Tendulkar batting at his best and, whenever he does, it gets the spectators to their feet. Tendulkar is setting almost impossible targets for the other batsmen. He has reached a stage that others can only dream of. The only major record is still left for Sachin is Brian Lara's highest Test score of 400.

In modern-day cricket, Tendulkar has achieved almost all landmarks of the game. He has scored most Test runs, is the highest scorer in One-day Internationals, and has the most centuries in Tests and ODIs.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, 37, made his One-day international debut against Pakistan in December 1989. In his first appearance, he was dismissed for a second-ball duck off the bowling of Waqar Younis. Twenty years later, however, he is regarded as one of the all-time greats of the game.

So far, he has played 442 One-day International matches; scoring 17,598 runs at a magnificent average of 45.12, at a strike rate of 86.26 per innings.

Tendulkar has scored 46 centuries in the one-day format besides going past the half-century mark on 93 occasions. He is the first batsmen to have scored 50 or more internationals hundreds. Overall Tendulkar has 93 hundreds in International cricket that include 47 in Test matches.

Interestingly, he failed to score his first century until his 79th One-day International. After that, he has never looked back.

In the near future, no batsman can break his records. Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jasayauriya with 13,428 ODI runs is the second highest run-getter in shorter version of the game. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is second with 29 ODI hundreds; far behind Sachin's 46.

Tendulkar also has the record of most runs (1,796) in the World Cup at an staggering average of 59.87 including four hundreds and 13 half-centuries. His best score in the World Cup is 152 not out was against Namibia in 2003.

Sachin Tendulkar, with his 12,773 runs in Test cricket is also the highest run-getter in longer version of the game as well.

"No record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken and I would like to see an Indian breaking this record," Tendulkar said after his historic innings on Wednesday.

Tendulkar is ranked second in both the all-time Test and one-day lists prepared by Wisden; behind Australia's Don Bradman and West Indies' Viv Richards, respectively.