CRICKET:India's Sachin Tendulkar cracked his 39th Test century yesterday to put his side in a strong position on the opening day of the fourth Test against Australia.
The diminutive Tendulkar, playing possibly his last Test on Australian soil, produced a vintage display to score an unbeaten 124 and help the tourists reach 309 for five at stumps at the Adelaide Oval.
Opener Virender Sehwag (63) and middle-order batsmen VVS Laxman (51) also posted half-centuries as the Indians carefully set about building an imposing total on a flat pitch tailor-made for high scoring.
The Australians, 2-1 up in the four-match series, captured two wickets in each of the first two sessions but only one in the last.
They were unable to find a way to get rid of Tendulkar, who frustrated and tormented their bowlers for nearly five hours.
Left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson dismissed makeshift opener Irfan Pathan for nine and former skipper Rahul Dravid for 18 before lunch.
Paceman Brett Lee removed Sehwag early in the middle session, then wrist spinner Brad Hogg dismissed Saurav Ganguly for seven to reduce India to 156-4.
Tendulkar and Laxman steadied the innings with a 126-run partnership for the fifth wicket, before Lee finally got rid of Laxman after tea, leaving wicketkeeper MS Dhoni (six not out) to carry on to stumps.
Tendulkar has been the form batsmen in this intriguing series, scoring an unbeaten hundred in the Sydney Test and half-centuries in Melbourne and Perth, but saved his best for last.
He started cautiously but brought up his 50 off 77 balls, then reached triple figures off 133 deliveries, smashing part-time spinner Michael Clarke down the ground for a six then a four to pass the milestone.
Scoreboard
V Sehwag c Hayden b Lee 63
I Pathan c Gilchrist b Johnson 9
R Dravid c Ponting b Johnson 18
S Tendulkar not out 124
S Ganguly lbw b Hogg 7
V Laxman c Gilchrist b Lee 51
M Dhoni not out 6
Extras (b-8, lb-15, w-1, nb-7) 31
... ---------
Total (for five wickets, 86 overs) ... 309
To bat: A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, I Sharma.
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-82, 3-122, 4-156, 5-282.
Bowling: Lee 22-3-62-2 (nb-5), Johnson 25-4-72-2 (w-1 nb-2), Clark 16-4-48-0, Hogg 18-2-78-1, Clarke 5-0-26-0.
AUSTRALIA: P Jaques, M Hayden, R Ponting, M Hussey, M Clarke, A Symonds, A Gilchrist, B Hogg, B Lee, M Johnson, S Clark.
