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Tendulkar stars as India take first innings lead

India's Sachin Tendulkar hits out on day three of the second Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Sachin Tendulkar's belligerent 154 not out guided India to a 69-run first innings lead over Australia yesterday and extended his world record for most Test centuries.

Tendulkar was on 69 when India slipped to 345 for seven on the third afternoon of the second Test and he only had the tailenders to help him reach his 38th Test hundred and overhaul Australia's first innings of 463.

And help him they did. Harbhajan Singh -- who was later reported for an incident which also reportedly involved Australian Andrew Symonds -- scored 63 in a 129-run eighth-wicket partnership and India's last three wickets added 187.

When No. 11 Ishant Sharma (23) top-edged an attempted pull shot to give Brett Lee a return catch and a fifth wicket for the innings, India were all out for 532.

Lee finished with 5-119 to lead the Australian bowlers, while Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg had two wickets apiece.

Openers Matt Hayden (5) and Phil Jaques (8) survived the five overs before stumps, moving Australia's second innings total to 13.

With a deficit to make up and rain predicted for the weekend, Australia's prospects of a world record-equaling 16th consecutive Test win are starting to diminish.

Australia set the record streak between October 1999 and February 2001. India ended that streak in Calcutta in one of the great comebacks in Test cricket.

Lee still thinks Australia have every chance of winning.

"The first session of day four will probably be the most important session -- it's going to be the telltale of the whole Test match," he said. "Both teams can win from this situation ... now the mind games and tactics start, that's the reason we all play Test cricket. The next two days promise to be two cracking days."

Tendulkar resumed on the third morning on 9 and found his world-renowned touch while playing the anchor role in an 108-run fourth-wicket partnership with Sourav Ganguly.

He drove Brad Hogg for six straight down the ground just two balls before the Australian wrist spinner broke the stand.

Ganguly, on 67 from 78 balls, stepped down the pitch and miscued a drive directly to Mike Hussey at mid-off.

Lee then took three wickets in quick succession to have India in trouble, trapping Yuvraj Singh (12) lbw just before lunch and having Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2) and Anil Kumble (2) caught behind just after the interval.

Tendulkar brought up his century just before the tea interval, his third hundred at the ground. He now averages 326 at the SCG.

Singh was the first wicket to fall in the evening session, getting a thick edge off Johnson to Hussey in the gully.

R.P. Singh added 13 to continue Australia's frustration before Sharma's cameo and the innings ended.
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