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Tendulkar ton gives India healthy start

06/11/2008

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar scored the 40th Test century of his career as the home side compiled 311-5 on the first day of the fourth and final Test against Australia.

In a match that the tourists must win to salvage the series, which they currently trail 1-0, India dominated for most of the day with only glimmers of hope for Ricky Ponting's men.

Openers Murali Vijay - standing in for the suspended Gautam Gambhir - and Virender Sehwag looked on course for a century stand to open the innings before the new man fell victim to a Brad Haddin catch off the bowling of all-rounder Shane Watson for 33, with the score on 98-1.

Rahul Dravid (0) lasted only two balls before being dismissed by Jason Krejza, and when Sehwag went soon afterwards to the same bowler – leaving the home side on 116-3 – their good start looked to be unravelling.

However, an impressive partnership of 146 between VVS Laxman (64) and Tendulkar (109) restored India's advantage as Australia's pace attack largely failed to create any movement off the seam.

Spinner Krejza was turning out to be Australia's most expensive bowler - conceding 138 runs and bowling just one maiden in his 28 overs – but he also appeared to provide the tourists' greatest chance of a breakthrough.

And so it proved when a short-pitched delivery was spooned up by Laxman to Haddin to split the hosts' dangerous middle-order partnership.

After completing his landmark century, Tendulkar was trapped lbw by Mitchell Johnson to leave India on 303-5 but Saurav Ganguly (27 not out) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (four not out) saw out the remaining overs to mark a solid first day.