I don’t believe any record is unbreakable: Sachin Tendulkar

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: February 25, 2010

commentComment     Email This Post Email This Post     Printable version

I don’t believe any record is unbreakable: Sachin Tendulkar thumbnail

Gwalior: After scoring the first ever double hundred in ODI cricket, India’s batting genius, Sachin Tendulkar, said that records are made to be broken and he would be happy if an Indian breaks his record of 200 not out that he smashed on Wednesday against South Africa.

Tendulkar became the first cricketer to hit a double century in the four-decade-long history of one day cricket but the Master Blaster reckoned even this record would be bettered some day.

“No record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken and I would like to see an Indian breaking this record,” Tendulkar said, dedicating the knock to all his fans.

Tendulkar, who now holds almost all the possible records in one-day internationals — most runs in ODI cricket, most hundreds, most matches and the highest individual score, insisted that he has never played for records.

“I do not play for records. I play for enjoyment and for my passion for the game. I did not start playing cricket for breaking records. It has happened over time. But it feels great,” Tendulkar said at the post-match press conference.

The Little Master said that what pleased him the most was the fact that he batted the entire 50 overs which was a testament to his fitness after having played the game for more than 20 years.

“It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good test of my fitness. I’d like to bat another 50 overs at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn’t drop,” Tendulkar said after his effort helped India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. “The ball was coming onto the bat and I was striking the ball well. So when everything falls into its place, it feels nice. It was one of the innings where I felt I was moving well. Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers.”

Tendulkar dedicated his feat to the people of India while also crediting coach Gary Kirsten for the team’s success in both forms of the game after the debacle in the World Cup in the Caribbean. “I’ve enjoyed various challenges; after the 2007 World Cup things have looked different and I’m enjoying the game,” he said. “The credit also goes to Gary [Kirsten], he has really held the team beautifully. It’s about togetherness and playing for each other. You see during the practice sessions that Gary himself trains as hard as anyone else or probably harder than anyone else as he’s the one giving us practice all the time.”

Tendulkar said that it was only once he reached 175 in the 42nd over, he sensed an opportunity to score a double hundred. “When I was near 175-180, I thought I could get a 200 as there were quite a few overs left,” he said.

This was India’s third-highest score in ODIs, and Tendulkar thought that the 400-mark wouldn’t have been possible without the big hitting of Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni. “I thought a target of 340-350 would be a good one, but Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni came in and hit the big shots and cleared the ropes consistently and helped us pass 400.”

Tendulkar added that even after scoring 400, India were not relaxing since South Africa has chased down more than 400 runs in the past. “This was the team that chased 434 against Australia. So we didn’t get complacent and told ourselves that we had just got through the half-way stage by scoring 401. And what we did in the second half was extremely important. We were aiming at getting early wickets and putting them out of the game.”

Asked if the presence of more match-winners in the side had eased his pressure and allowed him to play freely, Tendulkar said, “Not really. I have done well in the last 20 years. It’s not that I have done well in the last one year.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced that a road would be named after the batting great, a gesture Tendulkar acknowledged with smile and gratitude. “I respect the sentiment. These things help during tough times and when you go to the field,” he said.

Dhoni, who was standing on the other end when Tendulkar surpassed the record, said, “I think one of the best innings, you can say. It’s always good to be on the other side, watching him score 200 runs. When he is tired and can’t play the big shots, he was very clever to use the pace of the bowler and it’s very difficult for the bowlers as they don’t know where exactly to bowl.”

India lost Virender Sehwag early and Karthik, Yusuf and Dhoni were all involved in sizeable partnerships with Tendulkar, during which they never let the scoring rate dip. “Once Viru got out, it was important to get some kind of a partnership going. They [Tendulkar and Karthik] went on with their innings, and set a platform after which we were sure we would get 350-plus which would be a difficult target,” Dhoni said. “Yusuf was sent up the order and with the talent he’s got, he can be a great asset to the side.”

Yusuf Pathan showed some glimpses of his destructive self, scoring a quickfire 36 and he was particularly lethal during the batting Power play, while Dhoni himself was destructive at the death, bludgeoning 68 off 35 in a century stand with Tendulkar in just 53 balls. “I have changed my batting a bit, but the situation demanded that kind [attacking] of innings,” Dhoni said. “The ground is a small one, and we were a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to get back into the game.”

For South Africa and their stand-in captain Jacques Kallis, it was a case of the basics gone wrong. “The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just weren’t good enough today. We were outplayed,” Kallis said. “We lost wickets at crucial stages, our basics let us down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took advantage of some good conditions and he played superbly. We let ourselves down in some areas.”

Tagged with: , , , , , ,


WPSN comments




Related News Headlines

Cricketain Latest