New Delhi: Former players showered heaps of praise on Sachin Tendulkar after the legendary Indian batsman rewrote history books on Sunday at the Centurion to become the first cricketer to hit 50 Test centuries.
"He has been performing outstandingly in all three formats of the game and it requires tremendous physical and mental fitness and focus and passion for the game," said Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India skipper, when contacted after Sachin achieved the feat.
"It was an absolutely outstanding innings, an outstanding milestone in history of cricket," he added.
Terming it as a lesson for the younger players, Vengsarkar said, "What he did today on foreign soil was a lesson for those in the dressing room, especially the youngsters."
"It has never happened in the history of cricket and I don't think anybody would ever reach such a milestone considering the number of T20 and one-day matches they play these days," Vengsarkar added.
"It's been 21 years but he has retained the same enthusiasm, which I saw in 1988. He is so focussed, so passionate and disciplined. Everytime he occupies the crease, there is a record," he said.
The chief of the Indian selection committee, Kris Srikkanth, who played with Tendulkar in the Mumbaikar's early years, called him the "God of world cricket" and terming his achievement as "super human effort".
"He is god of world cricket and it's a super human effort. He has dedicated 21 years of in international cricket and that's amazing," Srikkanth said moments after the 37-year-old Mumbaikar reached the coveted landmark.
"When you score in difficult conditions, that has to be taken into account," Srikkanth added.
India had their backs to the wall after South Africa piled up a massive 620 for declared in reply to the visitors' paltry first-innings total.
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir who played against Tendulkar when the legend went on his first tour to Pakistan as a 16-year-old recollected old memories of watching Tendulkar bat in Karachi.
"At that time Waqar Younis was at his quickest. But the kind of technique and temperament he showed during his first innings in international cricket was worth remembering. Suddenly you could feel that this was a special talent out of the ordinary. It's really a great achievement and I wish him loads of happiness in the years to come," Qadir said.
Veteran India spinner Bapu Nadkarni feels that there isn't anyone who could easily emulate or surpass the record of 50 centuries in Test cricket.
Madan Lal, who was India's coach when Sachin Tendulkar was the captain said that credit should also be given to the other top-order batsmen who has let Tendulkar play his natural game.
"Earlier, the Indian batting entirely revolved around Tendulkar. But with the emergence of Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag and Gambhir, there is less pressure on Tendulkar. And when you are under less pressure, you start enjoying and playing more freely. That is the reason why Tendulkar has enjoyed such huge success in recent years," Madan Lal said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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