Special one gets double ton

The stadium here is named after a hockey great of the 1930s Captain Roop Singh and a fort thats over a thousand years old looms in the background.

The stadium here is named after a hockey great of the 1930s Captain Roop Singh and a fort thats over a thousand years old looms in the background. On Wednesday,over 22,000 screaming spectators crammed in here witnessed a piece of history played out in the middle.

Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in the history of one-day internationals to score a double hundred a milestone that had remained unconquered despite several assaults by weighty modern-day greats and their heavy bats and his achievement complemented the setting. It had the subtle touch that Roop Singh displayed with hockey stick in hand,and the solidity of his 147-ball knock did justice to the imposing sandstone walls towering over the venue.

After the early dismissal of Virender Sehwag,Tendulkar shared partnerships of 194 with Dinesh Karthik 79,81 with Yusuf Pathan 36 and 101 with Mahendra Singh Dhoni 68 for the second,third and fourth wickets as India posted 401/3 batting first. The fight had been knocked out of South Africa,who folded up for 248 the score looking respectable thanks mainly to an unbeaten 114 by AB de Villiers.

But all that including the fact that India won the series and retained their No 2 ODI ranking became incidental. It was with a stroke of luck that the quaint venue sneaked into the record books. With Kanpur pulling out,Gwalior figured in the itinerary at the last minute. With Tendulkar in a mood to break a few records that had dodged him,those in the stands went home with tales they will be recounting for years to come.

Ticking boxes

In the opening Test of the series,Tendulkar went on to score his first century against South Africa at home. He followed it up with an imposing hundred at Kolkata in the second Test. The one-day series started with a run-out but early in his innings on Wednesday,as the ball raced after hitting his bat,it was clear a Tendulkar-special was on the cards.

In the final over of the innings though,it went from merely special to spectacular,as he sliced a single to point. A barrier had been broken,and another record box ticked as he has been doing for the last couple of years.

There were no hiccups on this day,as he went about giving lessons in technique,timing,innovation and placement. Tendulkar began the historic journey with a vintage,copybook cover drive off Parnell in the second over and flicked the next one towards mid-wicket. When South Africa packed the off-side field,he shuffled across and played to mid-wicket. And when Jacques Kallis adjusted the field,he went square on the off-side.

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He reached his fifty off just 37 deliveries,and his 46th ODI ton off 90. As his back showed the first signs of stiffening,Tendulkar opened up reaching 150 off just 118 balls. There were no nervous 180s or 190s,as he waited calmly even though Dhoni kept taking singles off the last ball.

But with just four balls to go for the end of the innings,Tendulkar took a single and crossed into the history books. He looked skywards and to the dressing room. Forget those in the stands,even the players seemed overwhelmed.

News filtered through that one of the stands here would be named after him. There was talk that a street in Gwalior would be named after him. And why not? After his marathon knock,he returned to the field,having strapped up a strained hamstring. He probably hadnt had enough of a venue where his last three scores are 100,97 and now this magical 200.