Another milestone for Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar will become the first to play 400 ODIs for his national team, when he takes the field in Vadodara on October 10. Tendulkar, though, is a close second to Sanath Jayasuriya in reaching the mark in ODIs. Jayasuriya played his 400th against England in Dambulla, but four of his 402 appearances have not been for Sri Lanka. (For Tendulkar's career summary, click here.)

Since his debut in 1989, Tendulkar has risen to become the face of the one-day game. His 15,000 runs - and counting - will take some overtaking, considering that the only player younger than him in the 10,000-plus club is Ricky Ponting.

Besides the 15,000 runs, even his mark of 41 centuries looks a tough ask for any batsman.

In the last 15 matches, Tendulkar has scored 716 runs at an average of 47.73. Fitness problems have plagued him in the current decade, and the 25 ODIs he's played this year are the most he's played in a calendar year since 2000, when he played 34 matches.

Tendulkar's average of 46.63 and strike-rate of 83.41 this year are marginally better than corresponding figures in the last three years, a clear indication that his powers are not on the wane.

The only conundrum Tendulkar has faced of late is reaching the three-figure mark. However, he will be playing in Vadodara, where he scored his last, against West Indies earlier this year. Since then, in 21 matches, he has come agonisingly close on four occasions, getting out in the nineties. Two of those came in successive matches, while he was out on 99 twice, the only other batsman to do so besides Jayasuriya.

Had Tendulkar been Bradmanesque in converting his scores in the nineties to hundreds, he would be one short of a remarkable 100 hundreds in international cricket.

Tendulkar was edgy in the previous match in Chandigarh, scratching around for a rather dull 119-ball 79. More importantly, though, he and Sourav Ganguly gave India a solid start with their stand of 91. The duo have been prolific opening the batting this season, commencing with the ODIs in Ireland.

Ganguly and Tendulkar have opened in seven of the eight matches India have won since June this year, and have averaged 89.14 in those games.

Tendulkar is the highest run-getter against Australia in ODIs, and his tally of 2321 in 51 matches is second to his best of 2436 from 65 matches against Sri Lanka.

Although the centuries aren't coming as easily, his appetite for runs hasn't reduced and he's been able to consolidate on the starts he's got, scoring marginally higher this year once he's got a look-in.

Tendulkar's batting largely overshadow his bowling abilities. He's more than a handy bowler, with 152 wickets in ODIs so far. He also has two five-fors to his credit - both coming at Kochi - and his mix of spin and seam-up make him both an enigmatic and erratic bowler.

With 118 catches as well, it's no wonder he's usually in the thick of the action.