Tendulkar says Don was the best

Sachin Tendulkar is thrilled that his name will be written alongside Donald Bradman's in the list of highest Test centurions but is convinced that the Australian remains the sport's greatest batsman.

The 28-year-old from Mumbai equalled Bradman's tally of 29 Test centuries of the first day of the second Test against West Indies, scoring an unbeaten 113 to guide his team to 262 for four at close of play.

Tendulkar factfile Born: 24/4/73, Bombay Right-hand batsman. Teams: Bombay, Yorkshire, India. Tests: 93. 7,752 runs (before current innings), Average: 58.72 (before current innings), 29 centuries, 31 half-centuries. Highest score: 217 not out. One-day internationals: 286. 11,069 runs (world record), average 43.92. 31 centuries (world record). Highest score: 186 not out. Widely regarded as the world's best batsman, has often been compared with Australia's Don Bradman, even by Bradman himself. Only one Indian batsman, Sunil Gavaskar, has scored more career Test runs with a total of 10,122. As a schoolboy, Tendulkar scored 326 not out as he put on 664 with Vinod Kambli, also a future India Test player at the time. Aged 15, Tendulkar scored 100 not out on debut for Bombay v Gujarat. Aged 16, he became the youngest player selected by India. Aged 17, he scored 119 not out against England at Old Trafford. In 1990, became the first overseas player to represent English county Yorkshire. Has had two unsuccessful spells as India's test captain, first in 1996 before being sacked after 17 months when his batting form deserted him, then again in 1999 before opting to step down. Holds world record aggregate for one-day runs and one-day centuries. On Oct 27, made his 31st one-day century - 146 off 132 balls - in a world-record opening stand of 258 with Saurav Ganguly v Kenya.

Only India's Sunil Gavaskar, with 34 tons in 125 Tests, has crossed the three-figure mark more times.

"It will be great just to see my name next to Sir Don's when they show the number of hundreds scored," Tendulkar said.

"It feels fantastic to equal his number of hundreds, but nobody can match Sir Don," he said. "I think that is something accepted all over the world."

Tendulkar reached the landmark in his 93rd Test, while Bradman, widely regarded as the greatest batsman in history, notched up his total in just 52 matches at an average of 99.94.

Tendulkar dedicated the latest century to his deceased father and said the fact that the runs had come in the West Indies, where he had never scored a hundred before, was the icing on the cake.

"I dedicate this achievement to my father, he would have loved to have witnessed it," he said.

"It was my dream to score a hundred in the West Indies. The last time when I was here, I narrowly missed out on three hundreds so this time I was determined to get one.

Tendulkar holds the record for the most centuries in one-day internationals with 31.

His Test average moved above 59 with this century and he said he was happy to keep it climbing.

"Its great that I've been able to maintain a good average. I just want to continue...do less talking and more batting."

AIMING HIGHER

But how many more centuries does Tendulkar aim to score?

"I want to go as far as I can," he said. "When I started playing cricket, I never thought about how far I was going to go.

I just want to go out there and enjoy playing. I always set goals for myself but I don't like to disclose them."

Tendulkar had been struggling early in his innings on Friday and was fortunate to survive against a fired up West Indian attack on a grassy pitch.

"If your feet are not moving well or your timing is out, you have to be patient to get your eye in...that's what I did," Tendulkar said.

"I played well in the first Test at Georgetown but it's a different match and a different wicket. Everything cannot be the same everyday and you just have to adjust."

India had lost both their openers for 38 when Tendulkar walked in to bat and he steadied the innings with a 124-run stand with Rahul Dravid, who scored 67.

"Cricket has never been easy and this morning we lost a couple of early wickets," he said.

"It was important that Rahul and I stayed in.

"A good partnership was very important at that stage and we kept reminding each other that we had to hang around and pounce on loose deliveries."

Tendulkar said he would now like to build on his innings.

"When you're scoring runs you want more, and I'd like to add to my total tomorrow and put the team in a better position."

Mail Cricket Editor