Tendulkar aims for 100 international centuries

The Test series between England and India opens at Lord's today and the pre-match hype has centred on one player – Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar. It's hard to believe the man they call the 'Little Master' can achieve more greatness in a career that has scaled unprecedented heights since he made his international debut back in 1989, but he can.

Tendulkar has a host of Test records to his name, including the most runs (14,692), the most half-centuries (59) and the most centuries (51). This dwarves that of the next best, the 40 centuries scored by South Africa's Jacques Kallis. The legendary Don Bradman only managed 29, though admittedly he rattled those up in 52 Test matches compared to Tendulkar's record 177 Test appearances.

But should Tendulkar hit a century during the four-match Test series with England – or in the five One Day matches in September - he'll become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds. It would be fitting if he could do it at Lord's, not just because it's the home of cricket, but because the opening Test match is the 100th between India and England, and the 2,000th to be played since Australia and England met in 1877 in cricket's first official Test.

Yet on past form that might be a big ask of Tendulkar. In his seven previous Test innings at Lord's, the Indian has scraped a paltry 149 runs at an average of 21.28 with a top score of 37. Not that he's alone when it comes to lapsing at Lord's – the great West Indian batsman Brian Lara never managed to score a century on the hallowed turf, and nor did Ricky Ponting of Australia who, incidentally, has the second highest number of international centuries after Tendulkar – a measly 69.

In an attempt to rectify his lack of form at Lord's, Tendulkar has called upon the services of England's out-of-favour left-arm spinner Monty Panesar. He's been bowling to Tendulkar in the Lord's nets in the last few days, as has Alan Duncan, a junior coach at Lord's. "He wanted to check that his balance was right and that he was playing the ball under his eyes," said Duncan when asked what Tendulkar was up to.
 
England captain Andrew Strauss paid generous tribute to Tendulkar on the eve of the Test, though he indicated his bowlers were looking forward to bowling at the world's greatest batsman. "For him to go on for so long and maintain his incredibly high standards is a great testament of the man and the desire of his outrageous talent as well," said Strauss. "But out there in the middle we will be even more determined to get him out cheaply, because of what he has achieved... our bowlers will look upon it as a fantastic challenge for them - and it is a challenge they are definitely up for." ·