India superstar Sachin Tendulkar posted a fairytale century to lift his side toward a challenging total on the first day of the fourth and final Test against Australia yesterday.
In what seems certain to be his last Test in Australia, and at the home ground of his idol Donald Bradman, Tendulkar shook off a personal hoodoo at the Adelaide Oval with his 39th Test hundred to boost India's hopes of squaring the series.
After captain Anil Kumble won the toss and elected to bat, the tourists were 309 for five at stumps, with Tendulkar on 124 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 6.
Several of his teammates squandered promising starts, but Tendulkar was rarely troubled by the Australian bowlers.
The "master blaster" went into the match with just 122 runs at 20.33 in his three previous visits to the Adelaide Oval, but his intent was clear the moment he replaced Rahul Dravid (18).
He was savage on spinner Brad Hogg, lofting him for two sixes and scoring at better than a run a ball against him.
Tendulkar did not dally in the nineties, hitting spinner Michael Clarke straight for six, then caressing him through the covers to reach a majestic hundred.
He had been at the crease for 198 minutes, faced 133 balls and hit nine fours and three sixes.
A cautious Dhoni faced 54 balls and was given a life on 3, when Matthew Hayden grassed an easy chance at first slip off Mitchell Johnson.
Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman steadied the Indian innings after coming together at a shaky 156 for four on what appeared a perfect batting wicket, adding 126 runs.
Laxman enjoyed some extraordinary fortune on 37, with wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist inexplicably dropping a sitter from the bowling of Brett Lee.
It continued an indifferent series with the gloves for the Australian veteran, who dropped four catches in Sydney.
However, Lee (2-62) and Gilchrist got their man on 51, when Laxman botched an attempt to evade a short ball and it ballooned off his glove to the keeper.
Virender Sehwag continued to enjoy his recall to the side, making a breezy 63 at the top of the order before being caught behind off the bowling of Lee.
He initially found himself partnered by all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who was put up the order after India elected to play five specialist bowlers, recalling Harbhajan Singh for struggling opener Wasim Jaffer.
Pathan put on 34 for the first wicket with Sehwag, before pushing at a Johnson delivery and edging to Gilchrist.
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