Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 200 is a testimony to his fitness and commitment even as he heads for his 37th birthday. He is looking as fit as focused and as formidable as he ever has, and his timing remains untouched by the passing years.
Having played till the age of 39, I know that discipline, good, healthy living and focus can add years to one's career. What I lost in pace and stamina, I gained in control and guile. In Tendulkar's case, too, he has smartly sorted out his game. He might not have the eye he had in his late 20s, or the speed - those are the peak years of every batsman. However, Tendulkar has compensated for those areas with excellent shot selection and placement.
The fact that he got the score in 147 balls itself is a huge achievement and by reaching 200 he bettered one of the best One-day knocks I have seen, by Saeed Anwar. The latter was one of the sweetest timers of the ball, and that knock in Chennai was when he was at the peak of his form. To have bettered that Tendulkar must have really turned on the magic with some scintillating shots.
This achievement would mean a lot to Tendulkar, even though he has many records to his name because every opener must have had an eye on this record. A double century has only been a theoretical possibility in limited overs so far, so in many ways Tendulkar has achieved something unusual. True, he has many feathers on his cap, but this one is a really special one. An absolutely phenomenal record by a truly henomenal player.
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