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Tendulkar first to reach 30,000 international runs

Special Correspondent

Ahmedabad: Sachin Tendulkar conquered yet another peak when he became the first batsman to complete 30,000 runs in international cricket.

The maestro reached the landmark when he clipped left-arm-paceman Chanaka Welegedara to square-leg for his 35th run after lunch on the fifth day.

Tendulkar required 39 runs for the milestone before the Test. And he was castled for four by Welegedara in the first innings.

This is his 160th Test; ahead of the match, the 36-year-old Tendulkar had made 12,773 runs in 159 Tests at 54.58. The master batsman has 17,178 runs at 44.50 from 436 ODIs and 10 runs from his lone Twenty20 International for India.

The legendary cricketer, who completed 20 years in international cricket, is the highest run-maker in both Tests and ODIs. And no batsman has notched up more hundreds than his 43 in Tests and 45 in the ODIs.

National cricket selection panel chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth told The Hindu, “It’s remarkable that he has not lost his appetite for runs in all these years.

“He is as hungry for runs as he was 20 years ago when we toured Pakistan. I was the captain and I could see how eager he was to make a contribution. That has not changed.”

Srikkanth said scoring heavily in Tests and ODIs reflected Tendulkar’s ability to adapt. He bats No. 4 in Tests and opens in the ODIs.

“Your approach has to be very different in these roles. The demands are different, the mode of attack is different, the field placing is different. How well he has made the adjustments.

“He has not just played in these formats but has been more successful than anyone else. He is a genius. Along with his natural gifts, he has great work ethics.”

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