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Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 200 runs in a One Day International. AP Photo/Gurinder Osan
February has proved to be a fabulous month for cricket in all forms. We had a spine-tingling Test in Kolkata, followed by a nail-biting One-day International at Jaipur, and a landmark double century by the evergreen Sachin Tendulkar in the second ODI in Gwalior on Wednesday.
On 21 February, New Zealand defeated Australia by 2 runs in a women’s Twenty20 international match at Hobart in another thrilling finish.
Australia had facile wins over the West Indies in Twenty20s in Hobart and Sydney, in between those cliff-hangers, to remain invincible in the current season. These matches were livened up by Australia’s dynamic openers David Warner and Shane Watson hitting sixes galore.
In these two Twenty20s, Warner smashed nine sixes, Watson eight.
Warner’s six-o-mania in Sydney (7 sixes in his 29-ball 67) was reminiscent of India’s Yuvraj Singh belting England’s Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over in Durban in the 2007 World Twenty20.
In his 58 (7 sixes, 3 fours) off 16 balls, Yuvraj’s strike rate was 362.50, which works out at almost a four every ball. He has hit most sixes in Twenty20 internationals: 35 in 17. Warner, with 19 sixes in 11 matches, is not far behind.
Warner’s 50 in Sydney came off 19 balls, close to Yuvraj’s 12-ball 50 in Durban.
In the inaugural Twenty20, Ricky Ponting had blasted 98 not out against New Zealand in Auckland in 2005. Off one over from Daryl Tuffey, he had hammered 30 runs (626646).
New Zealand bowlers will remember this sky-writing when dare-devil openers Warner and Watson take them on in two Twenty20 internationals starting today and on Sunday at Wellington and Christchurch.
Just as the West Indies had 3 Ws – Weekes, Worrell and Walcott – in Tests in 1950s and 60s, Australia has two W’s – Warner and Watson – in Twenty20s today.
Meanwhile, Tendulkar keeps shattering records in Tests and ODIs at breakneck speed.
Here are his spectacular figures: in Test matches, Tendulkar has scored the most runs – 13,447 runs at 55.56 in 166 Tests with 47 centuries and 54 fifties. West Indian legend Brian Lara comes next with 11,953 runs at 52.88 in 131 Tests (34 centuries and 48 fifties), followed by Ricky Ponting, with 11,859 at 55.67 in 142 Tests (39 centuries and 51 fifties).
In ODIs, Tendulkar again leads with 17,598 runs at 45.12 with 46 centuries and 93 fifties. Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya is next, 13,428 runs at 32.43 (28 centuries and 68 fifties), followed by Ponting 12,731 at 43.30 (29 centuries and 76 fifties).
In combined Tests and ODIs, Tendulkar is way ahead with 31,045 runs at 49.12 in 608 matches with 93 centuries and 147 fifties. Ponting is next best with 24,590 runs at 48.50 (68 centuries and 127 fifties).
Hence, Tendulkar is supreme with the bat in both types of the game. Just as he became the only one to hit a double hundred in ODIs on Wednesday, Lara is the only one to record a quadruple century in Tests.
Contrasting batsmen Tendulkar, Ponting, Lara, MS Dhoni, Watson and Warner have demonstrated that all three forms of the game can coexist.