Updated at: 1859 PST, Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Zimbabwean Charles Coventry (194 not out) and Pakistan's Saeed Anwar (194) were the joint-record holders for the highest individual score before Tendulkar became the first batsman to hit a double-century in one-dayers.
Tendulkar, 36, reached the milestone in the last over when he took a single off paceman Charl Langeveldt, much to the delight of the sizeable crowd at Gwalior.
The veteran Indian opener smashed 25 fours and three sixes in his 147-ball knock for his 46th one-day hundred in the day-night match to boost his team's hopes of clinching the three-match series.
The hosts lead 1-0 following their one-run victory in the previous game in Jaipur on Sunday.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan also feasted on the South African attack on a flat track. Dhoni hit a 35-ball 68 not out and Pathan 36 off 23 balls as India posted their highest total against South Africa.
But the day belonged to Tendulkar who delighted the spectators with his rich stroke play, executing breathtaking shots on both sides of the wicket to reduce the South African bowlers to a state of helplessness.
India lost Virender Sehwag (nine) in the fourth over after electing to bat, but Tendulkar received valuable support from Dinesh Karthik, who scored a career-best 79 in a record 194-run stand for the second wicket off 29.3 overs.
India's previous best for the second wicket against South Africa in one-dayers was 180 between Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in Nagpur in 2000.
Tendulkar went for shots early in the innings, racing to his half-century off just 37 balls with nine fours. He took 53 more deliveries to reach his hundred.
Runs came thick and fast from both the ends as Karthik also batted aggressively, cracking three sixes -- one each off Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Jean-Paul Duminy.
Karthik was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at mid-wicket while attempting to pull seamer Wayne Parnell, but not before he had put the hosts on course for a big total with his fourth half-century in one-day internationals.
South Africa made three changes from the team that lost the opening match, bringing in Hashim Amla, Duminy and Roelof van der Merwe in place of Loots Bosman, Albie Morkel and Johan Botha.
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