Sachin hits highest score ever in one-day internationals

Sachin Tendulkar became the first man ever to hit 200 in a one-day international. 

Sachin Tendulkar has become the first cricketer to make a double-hundred in the 39 years of one-day international cricket.

The blazing innings comes 10 months after his 36th birthday and four years after he was booed off his home ground in Mumbai, with his career apparently in terminal decline. Somewhat improbably given today's innings, the abuse had been for slow scoring.

Tendulkar ended India's second one-day game against South Africa unbeaten on exactly 200, after 147 balls of beautiful destruction. He relied on finesse as much as force, hitting only three sixes to go with 25 fours.

India reached 401 for three in 50 overs under Gwalior's floodlights, against one of the strongest attacks in the world.

In reply, South Africa's batsmen began in similarly punchy mood but were soon overwhelmed by an asking rate of eight an over. Despite a run-a-ball century from AB de Villiers they lost by 153 runs, their second-heaviest one-day defeat.

Tendulkar sailed passed the previous world-record score – the 194 set by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar against India in 1996-97, which was matched in 2009 by Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry against a weak Bangladesh side. However, when MS Dhoni stole the strike for the last over and then hoisted the first ball for six it seemed Tendulkar could end marooned on a bittersweet 199.

But with the crowd baying for their hero, Dhoni – who had dealt almost exclusively in boundaries – wisely sauntered a single, and next ball Tendulkar nurdled a run through gully to reach 200. He and Dhoni, who played a small tornado of an innings, added 101 in only 54 balls.

Tendulkar had begun with boundaries on either side of the wicket off Wayne Parnell and then played an array of cuts, pulls and drives.

Memorably, in the first over of the batting PowerPlay, and the 35th overall, Dale Steyn bowled a full, quick delivery outside off stump; Tendulkar simply walked across his stumps and flicked him through a narrow gap at midwicket. Steyn could only watch the ball speed away and shrug his shoulders.

Tendulkar has scored more runs than anyone in history in both one-day internationals and Test matches. He was briefly dropped by India in 2007 but has since regained his position as the subcontinent's most worshipped cricketer.