Sachin's historic double ton flattens Proteas

ust when we thought we have seen the best of Sachin Tendulkar’s batting, the master walked in with his mighty piece of willow and produced something that has never been seen in limited over cricket — a double century.

Sachin Tendulkar's phenomenal undefeated innings of 200 powered India to a comprehensive 153-run victory in the second ODI.

Tendulkar’s phenomenal undefeated innings of 200 powered India to a comprehensive 153-run victory in the second ODI. Along with being overwhelmed at the hands of clinical Indians, the Proteas slumped to a series defeat 2-0 with one match to go.
The Tendulkar master-class scripted India’s emphatic victory and quite deservingly the champion batsman walked away with the player of the match trophy. And quite befittingly the state cricket board has decided to name a section of the Captain Roop Singh stadium after Sachin.
Tendulkar’s knock was wonderfully backed by the bowlers, who denied the visitors any comeback into the game by picking up wickets at regular intervals. The pacers were expensive despite picking up crucial wickets but the part-time spinners once again impressed with their accuracy. Together, they bowled the Proteas out for 248 in 42.5 overs.
With a target of 401 hovering over their heads, everyone in the South African dressing room would have had their eyes on Herschelle Gibbs. After all, it was Gibbs whose blistering 175 enabled them to chase down 434 against Australia at Wanderers in 2006. But it was not to be. Pressure got the better of the explosive opener and he played a Praveen Kumar’s delivery on to his stumps in the third over.
The visitors’ hopes were further dented when after playing some superb flicks and drives for his 24 runs, Hashim Amla holed out to Nehra at mid-on, mis-timing a pull off Sreesanth. Nehra struck once again in his next over and South Africa lost their skipper. Kallis (11) edged a low full-toss which crashed into his stumps.
Next to go was Alviro Petersen (9), who was done in by Ravindra Jadeja’s quicker delivery.
Yusuf Pathan bowled well, sticking to the stump-to-stump line and varying his speed with guile. After getting rid of Duminy, another duck for him, the part-timer returned to scalp the valuable wicket of Mark Boucher and had South Africa reeling at 134 for 7 in the 23rd over.
The only resilience came from AB de Villiers, who hung in there till the end and scored a patient century. With his team in total disarray, de Villiers refused to give in to the pressure and played his natural game. His knock was filled with some lovely shots all around the ground and included 13 boundaries and two sixes. South Africa’s lone fighter was stranded on 114 when his team folded for 248.
Earlier, after MS Dhoni elected to bat first, India lost Virender Sehwag cheaply when Wayne Parnell surprised him with a short-pitched delivery and got him caught at third-man by Steyn.

AB de Villiers scored a valiant century and fought on till the end as his teammates succumbed to the pressure.

But Sachin Tendulkar looked in glorious touch right from the beginning, as he unleashed some magnificent shots from his repertoire. Like a genius at work, he carved out boundaries with finesse and power on both sides of the wicket. Wayne Parnell was welcomed to the bowling crease with an immaculately timed cover-drive and an effortless flick for four. Steyn wasn’t treated any differently as the maestro pummeled him for a few powerful drives on the off-side and a couple of pulls. While the master placed the ball like an artist, he also thumped it authoritatively with lofted drives down the ground and over the extra-cover fence. Tendulkar’s incredible innings exhibited his class, sublime touch and sheer genius. The batting virtuoso flattened bowlers’ morale with each of his 25 boundaries and three sixes.
While on one occasion he picked up a Steyn delivery from outside the off-stump and flicked it away to square-leg fence, on another, he gave himself room to hammer a leg-stump delivery over the extra-cover boundary – strokes of sheer genius!
The champion batsman got good support throughout his innings in form of Dinesh Karthik (79), Yusuf Pathan (36) and then MS Dhoni (68).
Dinesh Karthik once again came to bat one-down and got into the business straight away. He played some brilliant shots through the cover and point region for fours but the flick he played off Parnell to square-leg for a six was simply outstanding. Karthik, who has off late been guilty of not converting his starts into big scores, made amends with a fine knock of 79. He played his part rather well in the 194-run stand with Sachin.
Karthik’s departure hardly brought any relief to the Proteas. What followed was complete carnage. Yusuf Pathan walked in the middle with his characteristic swagger and started whacking the ball with disdain. After pounding Steyn for two fours in an over, he carted Parnell for two mammoth sixes in the next.
When Reelof van der Merve got rid of Pathan, the visitors thought they had got a crucial breakthrough. But they were in for some more pounding. Dhoni came in next and helped himself to a 35-ball 68 with seven boundaries and four sixes. He often danced down the wicket and lofted the ball into the stands. Dhoni’s lightening fast bat speed and raw power combined with Tendulkar’s flawless batting to storm India past 400. Together they brought up an unbeaten partnership of 101 runs in just 53 balls.