Tendulkar notches 100th international ton

Updated

Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar on Friday became the first cricketer in history to score 100 international centuries, reaching a new record in his glittering two-decade career.

Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month, achieved the feat with a century in an Asia Cup match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka, ending a nervous wait of more than a year for millions of fans.

The Mumbai batsman, who has compiled more Test and one-day runs than anyone in history, reached the milestone with a single, marking the moment with a modest glance to the sky while pointing to the Indian flag on his helmet.

Tendulkar, already a legend of the modern era and one of the greats of all time, made 114 off 147 balls with 12 fours and a six, before he was caught behind off seamer Mashrafe Mortaza in the 47th over.

India rode on the unprecedented century to post a challenging 5 for 289 but still succumbed to a five-wicket defeat.

Tendulkar said the achievement had yet to sink in.

"It was a tough phase for me. Especially tough when you know that I started off this season batting reasonably well," a tired-looking Tendulkar told the NEO Cricket channel.

"I batted well in Australia. I felt at times I was luckless. Doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still have to put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.

"It hasn't sunk in but I have definitely lost about 50 kilos."

It took the greatest accumulator of runs in international cricket more than a year to score his coveted hundred after he reached 99 centuries with his 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in Nagpur on March 12 last year.

"Precisely a year ago when I got my 99th hundred no one spoke about it during the World Cup. And then it was I guess the media who started all these," Tendulkar added.

"Wherever I went, to restaurants, the house keeping, the room service, who ever I met just spoke about the 100th hundred.

"It became a little difficult mentally, because I am not playing only for my 100th hundred.

"The 99 hundreds that I scored, nobody spoke about them. Everyone had their opinion but eventually I have got to do what is important for the team."

Unmatched superstar

Tendulkar is the most capped player in the history of the game with 188 Test and 462 one-day appearances since making his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November, 1989.

He has scored 49 one-day hundreds and 51 centuries in Test matches.

The father-of two, known variously as the "Little Master" or "Bombay Blaster", is worshipped as a demi-god in his cricket-crazy country and has barely put a foot wrong since he burst on the world stage in 1989, aged 16.

"I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history - a hundred centuries. He has made India proud," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said as the country celebrated.

He scored his 99th ton during a World Cup match against South Africa in Nagpur on March 12 last year, but failed to add to the tally on subsequent tours of England and Australia and a home series against the West Indies.

International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat also lauded Tendulkar's achievement.

"On behalf of every cricket fan around the globe, I congratulate Sachin on becoming the first person to score 100 centuries for his country," Lorgat said in a statement.

"This is indeed a magnificent feat and not likely to be easily emulated. The number 100 is special for a batsman and to record 100 centuries for your country is a massive statement.

"He is a marvel to cricket lovers around the world and with an array of batting records, Sachin is a true role model who will undoubtedly hold a special place in cricket's history."

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is the second batsman on the all-time list with 71 international centuries.

ABC/AFP

Topics: cricket, sport, bangladesh, india

First posted