200 not out!

– Tendulkar’s double century seals one-day series

GWALIOR, India, (Reuters) – Sachin Tendulkar scored  one-day international cricket’s first double century to set up a  153-run win and a series victory for India over South Africa yesterday.

Tendulkar, who opens in one-dayers, smashed 200 not out off  147 balls to help India post 401-3 and take a winning 2-0 lead  in the three-match series.

South Africa were bowled out for 248 with AB de Villiers  hitting a defiant 114 not out in the day-night match at the  Captain Roop Singh Stadium.

Tendulkar struck 25 fours and three sixes on a ground with  short boundaries in a spectacular innings that combined power,  timing and enthusiasm with stunning strokeplay.

“The way Sachin batted, the way he continued until the 50th  over it was superb. Even when he was tired and he couldn’t play  big shots, he used the pace of the bowler quite nicely,” India  captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told the prize-giving ceremony.

The 36-year-old batsman reached 200 with a single off Charl  Langeveldt in the final over. The capacity crowd erupted in joy  as Tendulkar looked skyward, kissed the crest of his helmet and  raised his bat.

RECORD EXTENDED

India lost opener Virender Sehwag for nine to left-arm  seamer Wayne Parnell but Tendulkar, who extended his record  number of one-day centuries to 46, proceeded to put on 194 for  the second wicket with Dinesh Karthik (79).

Tendulkar reached his 100 with a single and moved to 150  with a four off Parnell. He was in complete control of the  attack after hitting a century in each of the two tests against  South Africa in the drawn test series earlier this month.

“It was a fantastic innings from Tendulkar, he took  advantage of the conditions, he’s a world-class bat and he  proved it again today,” South Africa’s stand-in captain Jacques  Kallis said.

Tendulkar holds the record for most runs in tests (13,447)  and ODIs (17,598) and most centuries in tests (47) and ODIs.

He put on 81 for the third wicket with Yusuf Pathan (36) and  101 for the unbroken fourth with Dhoni who blasted 68 off 35  balls with seven fours and four sixes.

“It was one of the best innings ever played and it was  great watching some of it from the non-striker’s end,” Dhoni  said.

Tendulkar moved past the previous record score of 194  jointly held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles  Coventry with a two off Parnell before recording the first  double century since international one-dayers were first played  in 1971.

AB de Villiers hit his fifth ODI hundred but South Africa  could not recover after losing their first four wickets for 83  to Indian seamers.

India won the first game by one run on Sunday. The final  match is in Ahmedabad on Saturday.