Tendulkar became the first player to score 50 Test centuries as India reached 454-8 in its second innings when play was halted because of strong winds at the SuperSport Park ground and an approaching thunderstorm.
Tendulkar (103 not out) and captain MS Dhoni (90) led a gritty fightback for India with a 172-run partnership after the top-ranked Test team had slipped to 277-6, chasing the home team’s first innings total of 620-4 declared.
But Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh were out within five balls to put South Africa on the brink of victory, with India still 30 runs behind when play ended.
The moment Sachin found a gap through the extra-cover region to push a Dale Steyn delivery for a single, the entire stadium stood up to salute one of the true legends of the game. It is Sachin’s 175th Test match —most by any player in the history of the game.