THE LIVING LEGEND ....

So 50-over cricket is dying, and only muscle-bound, switch-hitting and reverse-sweeping batsmen can survive in the modern one-day jungle. Pah! Sachin Tendulkar certainly blew those couple of absurd and trendy notions asunder last week with his record-breaking one-day international double century against South Africa.Even before he took guard at Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar's place in the pantheon of cricketing gods was assured. He had already amassed both the highest number of runs and the maximum tons in Tests and one-dayers alike.

Treasure this new, improved Tendulkar. He is, by far, still India's most valuable player, and will remain so till he decides to call it quits. But that's for later: after Gwalior, and given the form he is in, it's time to ask what's next. Maybe a 100 international hundreds, given that 93 are already in the bag?

* Highest run-getter in ODIs, with 17,598 runs from 442 matches. Jayasuriya (13,428) and Ponting (12,731) follow

* Most centuries in ODIs (46), followed by Ricky Ponting (29) and Sanath Jayasuriya (28)

* Since Feb 24, 2009 has scored 1,158 runs in 20 ODIs, with 4 tons, averaging 72.37. In the preceding 12 months, had scored 352 runs from 9 ODIs at an average of 44

* His double century is the first in 39 years of ODIs, including 60-overs-a-side matches

* Highest scorer in Tests, with 13,447 runs from 166 matches. Next best Lara (retired with 11,953) and Ponting (playing with 11,859)

* Most Test centuries (47), well ahead of Ponting (39) and Kallis (34) among active players, and retd Lara and Gavaskar (34 each)

* In 2010, has already scored 477 runs averaging 95.40. Only Hashim Amla (674) has scored more Test runs this year
• In his last 10 Tests, has scored 1,018 runs at an average of 78.3 and is the only one with 6 tons in the last 12 months. In the previous 10 Tests, he had 647 runs and averaged just 38.08..
After Sehwag and blasters like Gautam Gambhir came and Dhoni followed suddenly the pressure was off Sachin to get that 200. .For a long time one has been waiting for Sachin to play two shots he hasn't, a six off the backfoot as an injured Pataudi hit at Melbourne in 1968 and a six one from outside the off-stump to over square-leg as Viv Richards would do...Given his strength in all forms of the game, is it time we consider him the superior to Don Bradman... sachin babba ki jai...