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TENDULKAR’ S FIFTY & MORE

No one ever thought that this 16 year old lad who hit three sixes in an over off Abdul Qadir on debut in the Karachi Test in 1989, would one day create  records which would be unsurpassable for centuries to come. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar caressed the ball through covers to achieve the milestone of 50 centuries in test Cricket in India’s first test against South Africa at the Centurion Park.  I feel that even our great-grand-children will be talking about Tendulkar’s records while discussing cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

He has 96 centuries in International Cricket and is four short of the coveted century of centuries mark. His appetite for runs is insatiable and he commented on his fiftieth century by saying that it is another number and said that ‘he has dedicated this century to his father as it was his birthday yesterday’.

Even after two decades of being at the pinnacle of international cricket, he still wants to improve his game and is still hungry for runs. This is what keeps him apart from his contemporaries and he is always increasing the gap between him and the next in line  Ricky Ponting.

Tendulkar is the only one in the world who has a double century in one day internationals.

Tendulkar is a legend and his legend grows ever larger as he has become the first man to score 50 Test centuries. It is India’s 37-year-old Little Master who has alone achieved this feat and no other is likely to surpass it in the foreseeable future..

Sachin Tendulkar scored his fiftieth Test century in trying circumstances in the first Test of the India South Africa series at the Super sport Park in Centurion. While the match situation demanded that he keep his composure, the thoughts of his late father were not far from his mind.

Talking to media, Tendulkar later acknowledged that he wanted to dedicate his 50th Test century to his father because in his own words,

It was his birthday yesterday and he would have been 82. I wanted to do it for him.

Those who had been anxiously or eagerly awaited the big milestone moment for the maestro, even he could not have timed it better in keeping with the sentiment of the moment.

Tendulkar’s determination and drive for Cricket but humble respect for his parents was evident even before as during the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999 when he lost his father but fought back the tragedy to play for India. Once more Tendulkar pays ode to his father through his bat.

Tendulkar had recently acknowledged his father’s value system when he turned down a liquor endorsement that would have catapulted him in terms of money for sports endorsements.

 His first century came at Old Trafford in 1990 in his ninth Test. His 50th ton – 11 clear of his nearest rival, Ricky Ponting – came in his 175th Test, against South Africa in the aptly named Centurion. It was raised with a single and a salute to the heavens in memory of his late father,” he wrote.

He has always been compared to Sir Donald Bradman and the debate still goes on as to who is the greatest. Bradman never had to play limited-over’s cricket, while Tendulkar has represented India in an astounding 442 one-day internationals.”

Former South African captain Kepler Wessels, who was at Centurion to watch Tendulkar’s 50th century on Sunday, said Tendulkar is the best batsman of the modern era. “Certainly in the modern era, he’s the best batsman of our time. He doesn’t have an equal,” Wessels said.

Ravi Matah.