Tendulkar shatters yet another ODI record

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By Vas Venkatramani, 25 Feb 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: Cricket, Indian cricket, International Cricket, ODI, Sachin Tendulkar, South African cricket

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It’s amazing that in an era where runs have flowed with reckless abandon, batting landmarks still stood. Or at least, one did until the other night.

Sachin Tendulkar’s thrilling unbeaten 200 in Gwalior is the first time any batsman has reached a double hundred in the one-day international format. The first time after 2962 one-day internationals after 37 years.

Making the milestone even more special is that it came against a classy South African attack.

However, with the celebrations comes a slight tinge of regret. Nothing is no longer a dream with willow in hand. The status of cricket is that anything is possible.

At least with willow in hand.

Should we be hailing a landmark achievement, or bemoaning the possible death of the game? Aren’t records there to be broken, and isn’t the presence of the elusive cause to drive ambition?

That all said, if anyone deserved to take the landmark for his own, it was the Little Master.

After a career spanning 20 years and more than 30,000 runs, Tendulkar has achieved everything. It’s a worthy notion that this proven champion has passed a career-long hurdle.

But what’s next? The second man to pass 200 will become the Buzz Aldrin of the ODI format. But is the next target a bridge too far?

And if not, is this particular goal in the game’s best interests to chase?

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The Crowd Says (27) | Page 1 of Comments

Tom said | February 25th 2010 @ 2:23am | Report comment

Amazing effort by Sachin and no, I dont believe there is anything bittersweet about breaking the 200 barrier. A new world record now exists to be broken and if anything, these sort of innings could save odi cricket. Teams are beginning to have the confidence, courtesy of T20 experience, that they could bat at 8-10 runs an over for much longer periods than just the final 7-10 overs of an odi. It may only come against a Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, but I’m looking forward to a side notching up 500.

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viji said | February 25th 2010 @ 5:34am | Report comment

first we should salute and give respect him.If the bowling is worst or pitch is worst then anybody could have done it?but why could not?
May be some one will break.but now he is a legend.

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Dan Dresden said | February 25th 2010 @ 5:55am | Report comment

Wow! That is a seriously good achievement by Sachin. Never thought 200 in a one-dayer could be achieved.

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Lee said | February 25th 2010 @ 5:59am | Report comment

Oh come on….

Records are meant to be broken, there is no regret in this. Was there a tinge of sadness when Bolt beat the record in the 100m sprint – no because that is the point of sport,pushing people to expand the human ability, making people achieve incredible feats.

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Brett McKay said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:17am | Report comment

I’ve got agree with Lee here, this knock should be being celebrated, not looked down upon. Tendulkar has done what no other ODI batsman could do in 37 years. Plenty got close, and I’m sure Gary Kirsten would have loved one more over against the UAE all those years ago, but no-one had previously got to 200 (Not even in the South Africa-Australia miracle game).

Tendulkar’s knock is a reason to celebrate 50 over cricket too. If this format is allowed to die, we certainly won’t see double hundreds in T20, and we not in time see them in Tests either, for the ability to bat for that long will be lost.

200 in a one-dayer is like the four minute mile being broken, like doing the 100m in less than 10secs. Like Kumble’s 10fa. Celebrate the milestones for what they are…

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- vinay verma said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:35am | Report comment
  
  Brett,well put. Everytime someone tolls the demise of ODI’s we have a reply like Tendulkar’s. After 20 years he still has the hunger and the passion. Absolute requisites for greatness. The Don went 20 years and retained his hunger right through to 1948. Ponting shows the same hunger and pride. Looking forward to 2011 WC and the dream final would be Australia and India with both Tendulkar and Ponting going head to head. With a support cast of Sehwag,Warner,Dhoni,White and Raina.
  
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  - Bob said | February 25th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
    
    Brett and Vinay, i cant agree with you more! you both obviously have a great passion for the game. Bring on 2011!!
    
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Blue Sue said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment

Belinda Clark scored 229 not out in the 1997 Womens World Cup.

Not a bad knock either …….. for a young lassie!!

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- Bob said | February 25th 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
  
  yeah but batting against slow pies doesnt really count
  
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Mr Sports said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment

The problem i have with this innings is the same problem i had with Matt Hayden pinching Mark Waugh’s spot for highest ODI score by an Australian – the rules are different. How do you compare Saaed Anwar’s 194 or Mark Waugh’s 175 with 15 overs of fielding restrictions to this 200 with 20 overs of restrictions?

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- Michael C said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:46am | Report comment
  
  yeah – but all the grounds are different dimensions even before ropes come into play,
  
  the fielding restrictions, the weather, the pitch, the opposition, the power play, the one or two white balls etc etc……not much has remained constant – - given that ODI’s started off as 60 over affairs,
  
  in the early days…well, the early 80s, it was Viv Richards brilliant 189* v England (batting with the tail in a rear guard action to set an insurmountable task) that set standard….oh….but that was a smallish English ground……but why seek to detract from it?
  
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- Brett McKay said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
  
  precisely MC, that why I say this knock should be celebrated for what it is: the first double hundred in ODI history…
  
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vas said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:47am | Report comment

i felt this was a little sad because this is another step to 200 becoming a regularity. i’m definitely not detracting from the achievement, and especially not from the man who has persevered for 20 years to get there.

yet every time there’s a game like this, i break into a cold sweat and dread to what extent cricket will go to favour batsmen. call me traditionalist, but the greatest thrill of cricket is to see fast bowlers seaming and swinging past outside edges, and spinners whizzing it through batsmen’s defences. cricket is at its healthiest when bowlers are given helpful conditions, yet good batsmen can work past that.

ultimately, with cricket being the way it is, what lot of kids today would want to be bowlers? if you don’t think the inflation of runs scored won’t have a roll-on effect in years to come, we may be terribly mistaken…

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- Brett McKay said | February 25th 2010 @ 8:02am | Report comment
  
  Vas, it’s not exactly the fault of the batsmen that ODI pitches are prepared the way they are though. And really, what chances are there now of a greentop being served up for the final game?? None.
  
  You suggest the greatest thrill in cricket is fast bowling. You also say you’re a tradtionalist, but I’ll just say you’re a bowler But administrators will point to 3/401 and Tendulkar 200*, and tell you that that is the greatest thrill right there. Runs being scored at will, and boundaries being crossed and cleared, puts bums on seats; that’s exactly the reason T20 is so popular. If anything, Tendulkar’s knock might be the shot in the arm for the 50 over game!!
  
  Actually just on 3/401 – remember after the miracle of Jo’berg, Ponting and Graeme Smith both suggested at the time that 400 might start becoming a lot more common?? Well, I can’t think of too many other 400+ innings totals since then, and until last night. But I wouldn’t mind betting we see more between now and the World Cup final….
  
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Michael C said | February 25th 2010 @ 7:47am | Report comment

btw – Parnell went for 95 off 10, poor Mickey Lewis, still sitting out there with 0-113 off his 10 at Jo’berg back in ’06.

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vas said | February 25th 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment

Interesting thing Brett. I’m not a bowler. I used to open the batting, and my captains would be loath to give me the ball at any time.

While watching games like these are aesthetically pleasing, we tend to forget the impact it can make, especially the negative side. Like I said before, what young kid right now, watching countless games on flat pitches, would want to be a bowler? Bowlers are being reduced to little more than machines.

Green tops aren’t necessary to employ an even contest. What is are loosening restrictions such as the wide rule and the bouncer limit. In this day, it is ridiculous that a ball shaving the leg stump is still called a wide. And let the bowlers have 3 bouncers in an over. Do whatever it takes to ensure batsmen don’t have it all their own way.

Why run over 10 yards repeatedly and deliver an offering that’s only going to be dispatched by a bloke standing with a piece of wood? And the sheer number of fours and sixes means batsmen will rarely have to run again.

All the great little skills and idiosyncrasies of the game are being eliminated in favour of a bash and crash approach. If I want that Brett, I’ll watch pro-wrestling.

There are some great things about cricket that must be protected. Scores of 450, 500 will ensure the standard of neither batting nor bowling improves in years to come…

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- Brett McKay said | February 25th 2010 @ 10:35am | Report comment
  
  so what’s the answer then Vas?? Honestly, I’m not sure what you’re wanting to get out of the game?
  
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