Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Sachin Tendulkar made two things clear while making a blistering 163 on Sunday - that a maiden double century in one-day cricket is as imminent as witnessing a 1,000-run match. The effects of Twenty20 on one-day cricket was also clearly evident in both planning and execution.
The third one-dayer between New Zealand and India was an intense battle, an intimidating exhibition of great batting skills and towards the end it provided a fascinating peek into the future when such close and high scoring matches are bound to become commonplace.
The match produced 726 runs, two top class centuries, a record number of boundaries and sixes and countless instances of missed heartbeats. The record for match aggregate is, of course, 872 - South Africa chasing a target of 434 and making 438 with a ball to spare against Australia three years ago.
Batting has changed dramatically and drastically since then with the advent of various Twenty20 leagues. New strokes have come into play and new techniques unearthed. Switch hitting and the audacious scoop over the wicket-keeper's head are only two examples of the new era.
The reverse sweep past backward point, the upper cut over third man and the brutal strike anywhere between deep square-leg and long-on are already a staple diet of leading one-day run-mongers, particularly during powerplays.
Twenty20 is revolutionising batting. It's already showing in one-day cricket and the knock-on effect can seep into Test cricket too. Just like one-day cricket did to Test cricket a few decades ago, particularly in catching and fielding.
The trend is quite apparent already and Saeed Anwar's top one-day score of 194 (146 balls, 22 fours and 5 sixes) made more than a decade ago (against India in Chennai) is under increasing threat.
Herschelle Gibbs, I presume, came the closest to breaking it and beating the double century milestone during his brilliant 175 (111 balls, 21 fours, 7 sixes) during South Africa's successful chase of Australia's 434 in that world record match for total aggregate runs.
It was a great effort for continuous aggression and consistent brutality. It was also a courageous knock as it was made chasing a world record target, unlike all other top scores, like Viv Richards's 189 not out, Sanath Jayasuriya's 189, Gary Kirsten's 188 not out and Tendulkar's 186 not out and including Anwar's 194, which came while batting first.
Gibbs was on course for a double century as well as he got out with more than 10 overs to spare and the required run rate well under control. Since then, Tendulkar, I feel, has come the closest to reaching that mark.
On Sunday, Tendulkar was in irresistible form - combining textbook technique and innovation to run riot on the lop-sided Christchurch ground. He improved and improvised his array of strokes to reach 163 (133 balls, 16 fours, 5 sixes) and had five more overs at his mercy when he retired due to a stomach strain.
Jayasuriya was much more closer to the target in 2000 against India in Sharjah while making 189. He was dismissed with 11 more balls left in the innings while all other scorers of 180-plus batted through 50 overs and remained unbeaten.
These statistics reveal a great deal and makes the progression towards the double century mark all the more interesting and intriguing. Richards from the past generation has had a go at it while all the leading lights, with the exception of Virender Sehwag perhaps, have come within striking distance over the last decade.
Twenty20, on the other hand, has already seen 150-plus scores within a short period of its official existence. Officially, Chris Gayle's 117 (57 balls, 7 fours, 10 sixes) in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup opener against South Africa is still the only century knock in the record books. But 150-plus scores have already been achieved in other leagues.
Brendon McCullum made a scintillating 158 (73 balls, 10 fours, 13 sixes) for Kolkata Knightriders against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the 2008 Indian Premier League. There is also a 58-ball 152 made by Graham Napier for Essex against Sussex in a English county match last June with the best strike rate of 262.06.
A few more overs to one of these batsmen and we may well have a double century in Twenty20 before the same is achieved in one-dayers ... another stimulating topic for endless discussion.
But for now who will be the first to the double century mark. Will it be an old-timer like Tendulkar or seasoned players like Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, Sehwag, Andrew Symonds, Kevin Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara, McCullum, etc. How about the new kids on the block like David Warner or Jean-Paul Duminy?
The choices are as many as the choosers. But I bet whoever does it will really be a tired man at the end of the day.
