Sachin Tendulkar smashed his 49th Test century and Murali Vijay his first as India matched Australia’s batting prowess in the second and final Test yesterday.
Australia managed just three wickets as the hosts took their overnight score of 128-2 to 435-5 by stumps on the third day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
India, who lead 1-0 in the short series after winning the first Test in Mohali by one wicket, are 43 runs away from Australia’s 478 with five wickets in hand.
PHOTO: AFP
Tendulkar finished the day unbeaten on a monumental 191 and opener Vijay scored 139 during a record stand of 308 for the third wicket — a remarkable recovery from 38-2 in Sunday’s last session.
It was the highest third-wicket partnership in India-Australia Tests, surpassing the 222-run stand between Aussies Allan Border and Kim Hughes in Chennai in 1979.
Tendulkar, the world’s leading batsman who also has a record 46 one-day hundreds against his name, slammed 19 boundaries and two sixes in his seven-hour vigil at the crease.
The Mumbai-born batsman, who started the day on 44 and was stuck in the 80s for almost 45 minutes, reached his century by smashing off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for two sixes over long-on.
Vijay, playing in the Test only because Gautam Gambhir was ruled out with a knee injury, languished for an hour in the 90s before reaching his maiden hundred with a single midway through the afternoon session.
The opener, who was reprimanded by match referee Chris Broad for breaching the players’ code of conduct for sporting several advertising logos on his batting pads, hit 14 fours and two sixes.
Australia went wicketless in the first two sessions before they struck twice in one over from fast bowler Mitchell Johnson soon after the tea interval.
Johnson had Murali edging a catch to wicket-keeper Tim Paine, before he trapped debutant Cheteshwar Pujara leg-before with a ball that kept alarmingly low.
Suresh Raina (32) had put on 61 for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar when he drove Michael Clarke to mid-on where Ben Hilfenhaus took a low catch.
Tendulkar reached his 58th Test half-century in the day’s first over with two boundaries off Hauritz.
At the other end, Vijay drove Johnson through the covers to bring up the 100-run partnership with Tendulkar.
Vijay survived an anxious moment when he was on 49 as he charged down the wicket, but a direct throw from Hauritz narrowly missed the stumps.
The duo scored 60 runs from 14 overs in the first hour, but an accurate spell from debutant fast bowler Peter George after the drinks break slowed down the run-rate.
The lanky South Australian gave away only 12 runs in his five overs in the morning session.
Hauritz was the most expensive Australian bowler with 0-153 from 39 overs, while Johnson took 3-89 from 23 overs.
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