India v South Africa, 2010

Sachin Tendulkar produced a dazzling display of top-class strokeplay to become the first man to score a double-century in a one-day international, and sealed India's series victory. He needed just 147 balls, having reached his 46th one-day hundred (to go with 47 in Tests) in 90, and he collected 25 fours and three sixes. From the outset, Tendulkar looked on course for something special. After the early loss of Sehwag, he raced to his fifty in 37 balls, driving superbly square of the wicket; with Karthik ensuring his senior partner had plenty of strike, India breezed to 219 for two in the 34th over. Tendulkar had 124 at that stage, and he forged on remorselessly, his placement so perfect, his timing so precise that South Africa were simply blown away. Dhoni's pyrotechnics - seven fours and four sixes off 35 balls - ensured the innings ended in a blur, even though cramp meant Tendulkar was running out of puff towards the end. He passed the previous one-day international record of 194 (shared by Saeed Anwar of Pakistan and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry) in the 46th over, before being briefly becalmed as Dhoni flailed away. But a single steered behind point off the third ball of the final over brought up the historic 200, amid a tremendous hullabaloo from the capacity crowd. South Africa's batsmen had little stomach for the daunting chase, focusing too much on the overall target rather than building partnerships, although de Villiers made an excellent century, full of elegant drives.