Tendulkar, who opens in one-dayers, smashed 200 not out off 147 balls to help India post 401-3 and take a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
South Africa were bowled out for 248 with AB de Villiers hitting a defiant 114 not out in the day-night match at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium.
Tendulkar struck 25 fours and three sixes on a ground with short boundaries in a spectacular innings that combined power, timing and enthusiasm with stunning strokeplay.
“The way Sachin batted, the way he continued until the 50th over it was superb. Even when he was tired and he couldn’t play big shots, he used the pace of the bowler quite nicely,” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told the prize-giving ceremony.
The 36-year-old batsman reached 200 with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over. The capacity crowd erupted in joy as Tendulkar looked skyward, kissed the crest of his helmet and raised his bat.
RECORD EXTENDED
India lost opener Virender Sehwag for nine to left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell but Tendulkar, who extended his record number of one-day centuries to 46, proceeded to put on 194 for the second wicket with Dinesh Karthik (79).
Tendulkar reached his 100 with a single and moved to 150 with a four off Parnell. He was in complete control of the attack after hitting a century in each of the two tests against South Africa in the drawn test series earlier this month.
“It was a fantastic innings from Tendulkar, he took advantage of the conditions, he’s a world-class bat and he proved it again today,” South Africa’s stand-in captain Jacques Kallis said.
Tendulkar holds the record for most runs in tests (13,447) and ODIs (17,598) and most centuries in tests (47) and ODIs.
He put on 81 for the third wicket with Yusuf Pathan (36) and 101 for the unbroken fourth with Dhoni who blasted 68 off 35 balls with seven fours and four sixes.
“It was one of the best innings ever played and it was great watching some of it from the non-striker’s end,” Dhoni said.
Tendulkar moved past the previous record score of 194 jointly held by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry with a two off Parnell before recording the first double century since international one-dayers were first played in 1971.
AB de Villiers hit his fifth ODI hundred but South Africa could not recover after losing their first four wickets for 83 to Indian seamers.
India won the first game by one run on Sunday. The final match is in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
