Sachin Tendulkar collared South Africa's attack on his way to a historic unbeaten 200* as India amassed 401 in the second ODI in Gwalior
India set themselves up for a series-clincher in the most brutal manner possible, with a little help from a certain Sachin Tendulkar, who brought up one-day cricket's first ever double-century, a good 39 years after the official entry of this format. The crescendo of the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior, was the ideal setting for Tendulkar to shatter one record after another and by the end of 50 overs, his flawless knock and a smashing unbeaten 68 by MS Dhoni took India to 401.
In the 46th over, Tendulkar, on 193, broke the world record for the highest ODI score with a flick past short fine-leg. He ran two to surpass Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar, and to say that he modestly acknowledged his feat would be an understatement. He didn't raise his bat, and just merely shook hands with Mark Boucher and simply carried on batting amidst the din. Coming from a man who is not known to showing too much emotion with the bat in hand, it wasn't surprising. He reserved his celebrations for the magic figure of 200, which he reached in the final over with a squirt off Charl Langeveldt past backward point. He raised his bat, took off his helmet and looked up at the skies and it was only fitting that one-day cricket's highest run-getter reached the landmark.
Tendulkar's innings featured strokes of the highest quality, but his true genius was exemplified with one particular shot which wouldn't be found in a coaching manual. In the first over of the batting Powerplay - taken in the 35th over - Dale Steyn fired a full, quick delivery outside off but Tendulkar walked right across his stumps and nonchalantly flicked him across the line, hopping in his crease on one leg to bisect the gap at midwicket. A helpless Steyn watched the ball speed away and merely shrugged his shoulders. There was no use searching for excuses or venting frustrations at the temerity of that shot. It was just that kind of afternoon for the bowlers.
There was just no letting up. The short boundaries and the flat pitch were too inviting for Tendulkar. Virender Sehwag's dismissal for 11, caught at third man, was just an aberration as Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf Pathan and Dhoni traded cricket bats for golf clubs. Driving and lofting through the line had never been this easy. Tendulkar could have driven them inside out in his sleep.
The two 100-plus stands, with Karthik and then with Dhoni, may well get lost in the scorecard but they were vital building blocks. Karthik rotated the strike well in their stand of 194, struck three clean sixes and helped himself to a brisk half-century. That partnership sent out ominous signs to the South Africans that they were in for something massive. Add Dhoni's bludgeoning hits and scoops and you had a score in excess of 350.
Tendulkar was in his element, flicking off his pads and driving neatly through the off side using the pace of the ball. He began by guiding a half-volley from Parnell through the covers before flicking the next one off his pads past midwicket. Steyn tried to bowl it a bit shorter but Tendulkar responded by pulling him over midwicket and slashing over point. Even the introduction of spin didn't help as Tendulkar gently tucked Roelof van der Merwe off his pads past short fine leg to bring up his fifty, off just 37 balls.
He brought up his first six in the 32nd over, off JP Duminy, launching him over long-on. Pathan bashed it around at the other end, clubbing full tosses and short deliveries in his 23-ball 36, as India amassed 63 runs in the batting Powerplay. The South African seamers made the mistake of bowling too fast and as a result, bowled too many full tosses and full deliveries. Theyorkers remained elusive and Tendulkar, who was seeing it like a beach ball, picked the gaps, made room and improvised.
The inside out shots over extra cover, really stood out. There was a brief interruption when Albie Morkel complained of crowd trouble but it did nothing to shake Tendulkar's concentration. He reached his 150 by making room to Parnell and chipping him over midwicket with a simple bat twirl at the point of contact. He went past Kapil Dev's 175 with a towering six over long-on. He equaled his highest score of 186 with a pull to fine leg, before Dhoni took over.
He smacked four sixes, making good use of the bottom hand. The crowd, though thrilled with the entertainment, were desperate for Tendulkar to take strike. Dhoni tore into Steyn for 17 off the 49th over and retained the strike for the 50th. After hammering the first ball of the 50th for six, he shoveled a full toss to deep midwicket where Amla affected a brilliant save. Tendulkar settled for a single and the crowd were on their feet. He reached his double ton before Dhoni sealed the innings in style with a four to long-off.
If India need to guard against complacency, they just need to turn the clock back a few months to Rajkot. If South Africa need to look for inspiration, beyond a standard pep talk, they need to go back four years to the Wanderers, where they chased 434 to clinch the series.
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