Tendulkar dedicates his ODI record to supporters

The former Yorkshire batsman smashed a sublime unbeaten 200 to record the first double century in a one-day match and power India to a series-clinching 153-run win over the beleaguered Proteas.

The previous record for the highest individual score in an ODI was 194, a mark jointly held by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry, but Tendulkar wrested that honour for himself with a remarkable performance at the crease.

Tendulkar built partnerships with Dinesh Karthik (79), Yusuf Pathan (36) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (68) as India reached a mammoth total of 401-3.

"I'd like to dedicate this double hundred to the people of India who have stood by me no matter what for the last 20 years," Tendulkar said after the victory which handed India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

"There have been ups and downs, but they have supported me through it all."

The 36-year-old, who was presented with a silver bat as a reward for 20 years in the game and will have a pavilion at the Gwalior ground named after him, claimed it was not until he was 25 runs short that he felt a double hundred was possible.

"I thought about the 200 mark for the first time when I was probably 175-plus and only 42 overs had been bowled," he said.

"I felt I had a chance, but I didn't think of it seriously until I got really close. Only then I thought there was an opportunity to be had. I thought I could take the singles and give Dhoni the strike, because he was striking the ball very well."

Tendulkar hit 25 boundaries and three sixes along the way before reaching his double century with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over.