Sachin - Records created and waiting to be created..

As Sachin Tendulkar is all set to complete two decades of distinguished international career yesterday, November 15, 2009, here is a complete list of his fabulous world records and also a low down on landmarks which has eluded him. 

Tendulkar's world records

Playing for his school Sharadashram against St. Xavier's at the Azad Maidan in February, 1988, he was associated in the then record unbroken stand of 664 runs with Vinod Kambli for the third-wicket. Both players remained unbeaten on 326 and 349 respectively. 

He scored a hundred (100*) for Mumbai against Gujarat at Mumbai in 1988-89 season on his first class debut, to then become the youngest to do so on debut in Indian first class cricket and then the second youngest to score a hundred at the age of 15 years & 232 days.

He remains the only player to score century on debut in Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Duleep Trophy. His scoring sequence were: 100 not out for Mumbai against Gujarat at Mumbai in 1988-89 in Ranji Trophy, 103 not out for Rest of India against Delhi at Delhi in 1989-90 in Irani Trophy and 159 for West Zone against East Zone at Guwahati in 1990-91 in Duleep Trophy. 

With 12773 runs from 159 test matches at an average of 54.58, he remains the highest run-getter in the history of test cricket. The next best player, in terms of run-aggregate, is Brian Lara with 11953 runs in 131 games. 

His tally of 42 test hundreds in 159 matches is the highest by any player in the history of test cricket. The next best player in the most three-figure innings scores is Ricky Ponting with 38 tons in 136 matches. 

He has the distinction of scoring 95 fifty-plus innings (42 hundreds and 53 fifties) which remains the world record for any batsman. The second best player in this category is Allan Border with 90 fifties (27x100 & 63x50).

He has scored 1676 fours in career spanning 159 test matches which is the highest by any player. Brian Lara with 1559 fours in 131 tests stands behind him.

He is the fastest to reach the following thousand-run marks in terms of test innings: 8000 runs (in 154 innings) & 12000 runs (247 innings) and joint record holder with Brian Lara for 10000 runs (195 innings each).

He has the distinction of scoring the most runs at number four position in test cricket. In 212 innings, he has amassed 10681 runs at his favourite batting position with the help of 37 hundreds and 44 fifties at an average of 56.51.

He shares with Rahul Dravid the world record for the most hundred partnerships (16) by a pair in test cricket. Ricky Ponting & Matthew Hayden and Gordon Greenidge & Desmond Haynes also posted 16 three-figure partnerships. Tendulkar has an excellent chance to extend this coveted mark into world record as Haynes, Greenidge and Hayden have already retired from active cricket.

His magnificent tally of 17178 runs in 436 ODIs is by far the highest aggregate in the limited-over cricket. Sanath Jayasuriya with 13377 runs in 441 games is the distant second. 

He has the distinction of scoring 673 runs with the help of a single century and six fifties during the 2003 World Cup in Africa. It remains the highest aggregate by any player in a World Cup competition. 

During 1998, he amassed 1894 runs in the one-day internationals with the help of 9 centuries and 7 fifties at an average of 65.31 and strike rate of 102.15. It contained two world records for the most runs and most centuries in a calendar year. 

His tally of 45 ODI hundreds in 436 matches is by far the world record by quite a distance. Ricky Ponting and Sanath Jayasuriya shared the second spot with 28 tons each.

He has been either dismissed or remained unbeaten in the nineties on as many as 17 occasions in a one-day innings. It remains the world record. Grant Flower, Nathan Astle and Aravinda de Silva shares second spot with nine scores in the nineties.

He has scored 136 fifty-plus scores in the ODIs which consist of 45 hundreds and 91 fifties which is again a world record. Ricky Ponting is second in the list with 101 fifties (28x100 & 73x50).

He has the distinction of scoring 1872 fours in 436 matches in a one-day career which remains the world record. Sanath Jayasuriya with 1492 fours in 441 games is second in the coveted list. 

His tally of nine ODI centuries against Australia is the highest for any player against a single team. He occupies second place too, for his eight hundreds against Sri Lanka. Sanath Jayasuriya, with seven against India, and Saeed Anwar, with seven against Sri Lanka, come in next.

He enjoys a world record aggregate of scoring 14062 runs with the aid of 41 hundreds and 70 fifties in 313 innings at his favourite batting position as an opener in the limited over cricket.

 He has the distinction of crossing thousand runs mark in a calendar year on as many as seven occasions in the ODIs which is the most by any player. He accomplished the feat in 1994, 1996-98, 2000, 2003 & 2007. Ricky Ponting & Sourav Ganguly have done it six times each.

Records which have eluded Tendulkar

A century in each innings of a test match. The closest he came to achieving this milestone was when he made 177 & 74 against England at Nottingham in 1996.

A triple hundred in an innings in test cricket. His highest score remains 248 not out against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2004.

A century on debuts in Tests, ODIs or T20. His score in his first matches in each form of cricket were: 15 runs v Pakistan in Karachi Test in 1989, a two-ball duck also against Pakistan in Gujaranwala ODI in 1989 and a meager 10 runs in his only T20 game versus South Africa at Johannesburg in 2006.

Most hundreds in first class cricket by an Indian. He has scored 69 centuries in 261 first class matches. This milestone is held by Sunil Gavaskar with 81 tons in 348 matches.

Most runs in test cricket in a calendar year. His best effort was 1392 runs in 16 matches in 2002 which is way below all time high of 1788 runs in 11 matches by Mohammad Yousuf in 2006.

He failed to cross 500-run aggregate mark in any of his 60 series in test cricket. His best effort was 493 runs in four test matches during the series against Australia in 2007-08 Down Under.

He failed to be a member of the World Cup winning squad in both ODI and T20. His best chance was in 2003 when India lost to Australia in 50-50 World Cup final. He never appeared in T20 World Cup.

Highest individual innings in ODIs. His best effort is 186 not out against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999 which remains the sixth highest score in a one-day innings.

So even after 20 years this man has got something to chase after. We wish him all the best for him to break all those remaining records and also to set some mammoth records for future cricket players.