That the Kiwis hold Tendulkar in high esteem was palpable from the roar all around the stadium, set amidst picturesque settings, each time his bat made contact with ball.
Playing in his 425th match, ODI cricket's highest run-getter had last hit a century (117 not out) in Sydney against Australia last March; his previous best in New Zealand was 84 in Dunedin in March 1992.
But the way he progressed after getting to his 43rd hundred it appeared he would get past his best of 186, which incidentally was against the New Zealand in Hyderabad in November 1999.
Why, even Pakistan's long retired Saeed Anwar's all time highest score of 194 looked under threat.
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