Now and again, as a sports fan, a day comes along in your life that you will never forget. As you age, your brain records millions of athletic experiences, but only a handful of them survive the test of time. Only a handful cause you to recall exactly what you were doing at the time the incident happened. For every Indian cricket fan, February 24, 2010, would be one such event.

A whole nation rejoiced when a 36-year-old Sachin Tendulkar squatted low, extended his bat outside off stump, and squeezed a ball to the fielder at point off Charles Langeveldt’s bowling at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior. The power of Tendulkar’s willow was no match for the South African bowlers.

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The whole cricketing world erupted and celebrated as the Master Blaster set a new mark. He’d just been the first person on the earth to score a 200 in an ODI, back when scoring more than 150 runs in an inning was tough.

Although double centuries in ODIs are rare, they are no longer considered extraordinary. Rohit Sharma has already surpassed the 200-run barrier three times, but it’s worth remembering how spectacular Tendulkar’s performance was at the time. For the previous 12 years, both Pakistan‘s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe‘s Charles Coventry held the record for highest individual ODI score of 194.

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The world looked up to witness Tendulkar surpass the double century not out the milestone in just 147 balls. He reached the milestone in the second one-day international against South Africa, with a superb knock that helped the home team reach 401-3 in 50 overs. India won the match by 153 runs after bowling out the foreigners for 248 runs to take a 2-0 series lead.

“I’d want to dedicate my double hundred to the people of India who have stayed with me through thick and thin for the previous 20 years,” Tendulkar said during the prize-giving event.

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Tendulkar’s previous best one-day single score was 186 not out against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999.

The great hung his boots just three years after setting the record, but his impact on the gentlemen’s game goes beyond runs and artistry.