Sachin Tendulkar, with his splendid double hundred against Australia, has emulated Virender Sehwag's record of six Test double centuries.
By Rajesh Kumar
Tendulkar's tally of six double hundreds is now exceeded only by four players in Test cricket - Australia's Sir Donald Bradman (12), West Indian Brian Lara (9), England's Wally Hammond (7) and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (7). Bradman and Lara's tallies include two innings of 300-plus as well.
Tendulkar's tally includes two double hundreds against Australia - one each at home and away, one each against New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Tendulkar has now registered three double centuries each in India and away from home. His double hundreds at home are - 217 against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in October/November 1999, 201 not out against Zimbabwe at Nagpur in November 2000 and 214 against Australia at Bangalore in October 2010.
Tendulkar's three double centuries away from home are - 248 not out against Bangladesh at Dhaka in December 2004, 241 not out against Australia at Sydney in January 2004 and 203 against Sri Lanka at Colombo, SSC in July 2010.
Wally Hammond holds a record for registering most double hundreds (4) against Australia. Brian Lara has recorded three while South Africa's Graeme Pollock, India's VVS Laxman and Tendulkar have posted two double centuries each against Australia.
Tendulkar's double hundred is the 33rd against Australia in Test annals and England's Len Hutton is the only one to post a triple hundred - 364 at The Oval in August 1938.
Tendulkar enjoys an outstanding average this year, aggregating 1217 at an average of 93.61 (his best ever in a calendar year) in just 14 innings (9 Tests) - the most by any batsman this year. His tally includes six hundreds (the only one to register more than four this year) and three fifties. The next best in terms of run-aggregate is another Indian, Virender Sehwag - 897 at an average of 64.07, including four centuries and four fifties.
For the first time in a two-Test series against a strong opponent, Tendulkar has aggregated 350 runs (ave.116.66) in just three innings. The only previous instance when he had amassed 350 runs or more in a two-Test series was against Zimbabwe in 2000-01 - 362 (ave.181.00), including two hundreds.
Tendulkar's batting average (116.66)in the series so far is his best ever in a Test rubber (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe), surpassing the 111.50 against the Australians in 1997-98 - 446 (ave.111.50) in five innings (three Tests).
Of the six double hundreds registered in 2010, Tendulkar is the only one to register two. Hashim Amla, Jonathan Trott, Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting have recorded one each this year.
Tags:
Sports