Tendulkar in history-making knock

The 36-year-old achieved the feat against formidable South Africa in Gwalior in India's central Madhya Pradesh State. His 200 runs, coming off only 147 balls, allowed India to accumulate a mammoth total of 401 runs for the loss of only three wickets in the limited 50 overs. He and captain M.S. Dhoni, who scored a blazing 68 in 35 balls, remained not out.

Indian bowlers then took charge to dismiss all 10 South Africa batsmen for 248 runs in 42.5 overs and win the encounter by a hefty 153 runs. India also clinched the series 2-0. A.B. De Villiers was South Africa's top scorer with 114 not out.

Tendulkar, who started his cricketing career at age 16, hit 24 fours and three sixes in reaching his 200, which overtook the previous record of 194 set in 1997 by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and equaled in 2008 by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry. Tendulkar's previous ODI best was 186 not out in 1999 against New Zealand.

His record "only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game," the BBC said.

Tendulkar also holds the records for most runs and most centuries scored in the five-day Test format.

"After two decades of basking in the glory of his sporting pre-eminence on the world stage, India is now privileged to witness the second coming of the most complete and prolific batsman of this age," the Times of India said.

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