Mumbai, Jan 5: In an absolutely rivetting Test series, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has once again left cricket-lovers awestruck by his unique combination of skill and perseverance.
Registering his 51st Test hundred at Cape Town, he has taken his tally of centuries away from home to 29. In the process, the master batsman became the first to complete a hundred with a six, six times.
Every outing of the legendary batsman invariably turns into a new milestone in his career and yardstick to judge others by. He became the first batsman to register five hundreds against South Africa in South Africa, bettering the four hundreds each recorded by England's Wally Hammond and Australia's Neil Harvey.
He also became the first batsman to complete 400 runs or more against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, aggregating 475 (ave.79.16) in six innings (four Tests), including two hundreds and two fifties.
In addition to this, his 176-run stand for the third wicket with Gautam Gambhir was the highest by any pair against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. The previous best was 156 runs between Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan for West Indies in January 2004.
It takes a gifted player like Sachin Tendulkar to weather the onslaught of opposition bowlers ripping through his side’s batting line-up. The duel with Dale Steyn on Day 3 of the third Test match in Cape Town is a shining example. It remains to be seen what the master has in store during the second innings of the deciding Test. All eyes on Day 5 at Newlands.
