The 32-year-old Mumbai batsman reached the milestone on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

The batsman spent tense moments on 99 before turning Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas to square leg for the all-important single.

An emotional Tendulkar punched the air in delight and raised his arms before looking skywards to say a silent prayer, wiping away a tear.

He was hugged by teammate Sourav Ganguly and congratulated by the Sri Lankan players with a crowd of over 20,000 giving him a standing ovation.

The Mumbai batsman had dug in for around three-and-a-half hours to lift his team out of trouble, becoming increasingly aggressive in the final session of play despite fading light.

Tendulkar, the most successful one-day batsman as well, walked away with the crowd cheering after play was halted once he had reached the milestone.