Finally... Tendulkar's century of centuries

Tendulkar holds the record for most One Day International (ODI) centuries.

LAHORE: It took one whole year and a few more days, but the Little Master finally came through to score his hundreth hundred.

Sachin Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month, achieved the milestone during India's Asia Cup match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka.

The Mumbai batsman, who has compiled more Test and one-day runs than anyone in history, also has 51 Test hundreds to his credit.

He was also the first batsman to score a double-hundred in ODIs.

Tendulkar made both his ODI and Test debut against Pakistan in 1989.

Here are six facts about one of the all-time greatest batsmen and the face of Indian cricket for over two decades:

 

• A teenage prodigy, Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai and made his test debut against Pakistan as a curly-haired 16-year-old, becoming the youngest Indian test player. A year later, he hit his maiden test hundred in England.


• Tendulkar holds a number of batting records, including the aggregate one-day runs (18,360 at the time of reaching his 100th ton) and centuries (49). He also holds the record for most test hundreds (51).


• He had two unsuccessful terms as India captain, the first aged 23 in 1996 before being axed 17 months later after his batting suffered. He was reappointed in 1999 but stood down after a 3-0 test series rout in Australia the following year. * Tendulkar was named player of the 2003 World Cup, scoring a record 673 runs to help India reach the final, where they lost to Australia. The next year, he equalled compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's world record of 34 test hundreds while compiling 248 not out, his highest score, in Australia.


• Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997.


• Surpassed West Indies' Brian Lara as the highest test run-scorer in 2008. Lara had scored 11,953 runs before he retired from international cricket in 2007. Tendulkar has scored 15,470 test runs .


• Became the first batsman to score 200 runs in one-day internationals against South Africa in Gwalior, India in Feb 2010. He finished 200 not out off 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes.


• Became the first batsman to score 100 international centuries after stroking a single off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan in an Asia Cup one-dayer against Bangladesh.