Tendulkar tops 14,000 Test runs, leads fightback
Last updated on: October 10, 2010 17:50 IST
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Sachin Tendulkar expectedly became the first batsman in Test history to complete 14, 000 runs,while leading India's reply to Australia's formidable total on Day 2 f the second Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
The home team scored 128 for two at stumps (after 34.2 overs), having played the whole of the third session, when bad light suspended play for a second successive day.
India is still 350 runs behind the Australian first innings total.
Tendulkar was batting on 44. Giving him company was Murali Vijay on 42. The duo put on?90 runs for the third wicket.
The Master Blaster completed yet another milestone, in his long and illustrious career, in his 171st Test. And there was no surprise in this case.
Needing 27 at the start of his innings, Tendulkar reached the landmark with a boundary off Nathan Hauritz and celebrated it with another, both through cover point. In the process he also became the highest scorer in Tests at Bangalore.
Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson took a wicket apiece for Australia.
Earlier, the Australian tail frustrated India considerably before finally succumbing.Having resumed at 285 for five, the visitors piled up 478 in their first essay, vatting for five sessions, 141 overs to be precise.
It was the team from Down Under's highest ever total in a Test at Bangalore, overtaking the 474 they had made in 2004.
Marcus North led the way with a majestic 128 before being dismissed by Harbhajan Singh , the latter being India's most successful bowler with figures of four for 148.
However, Harbhajan was hardly impressed, just three of 43 overs being maidens, and struggled largely.
Pragyan Ojha was impressive, chipping in with figures of three for 120. He was unfortunate not to pick more, as chances went down galore off his bowling.
Morning session: (99 runs, 24.1 overs, no wickets)
Australia dominated the morning session on day two with some aggressive batting. The visitors added 99 runs to their overnight score without losing a wicket.
Zaheer Khan opened the day by completing his over (only one ball was left). Sreesanth then bowled the first over of the day.
North, 43 overnight, reached his half century with a single off Sreesanth. It was his fifth Test fifty. It took him more than two hours and 98 balls.
Sreesanth's third over of the day was an expensive one. Tim Piane (59) hit a boundary (off a no-ball) to help Australia surpass the 300-run mark.
Another boundary by Paine, this time a pull to the square-leg fence helped bring about the 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
And Zaheer didn't make things easier by getting a warning for running on the pitch (while bowling his 17th over).
With the seamers failing to make an impact, Ojha was introduced into the attack in the 95th over. Paine welcomed him with a boundary over mid-on.
And in the left-arm spinner's second over, North found the cover boundary off the first ball and then cleared the midwicket fence two balls later for what was?the first maximum of the Australian innings.
Harbhajan was introduced into the attack in the 100th over and North welcomed him by hitting a boundary towards the midwicket.
Paine edged a Sreesanth delivery to the boundary to bring up the 100-run partnership: the best of the innings.
However, the Australian wicketkeeper had started living dangerously by then. He though had fortune on his side, surviving on many occasions.
When on 40, he edged a Sreesanth delivery and Dhoni made no mistake behind the stumps. But as he walked back to the pavilion, umpire Ian Gould called him back and referred it to the third umpire.
Gould was right.
Sreesanth had overstepped while delivering the ball. And Paine survived.
The stumper used his fortune to good effect, reaching his second Test fifty with a bounadry off Ojha.
The visitors were 384 for five at lunch (after 110 overs).
Post-lunch session: (94 runs, 31 overs, 5 wickets)
Having asserted their authority over India in the opening session, the Australian batsmen started the second session akin to manner in which they had started the first, with caution that is.
And, akin to the first, fortune was still on young Paine's side, the stumper (when on 57) being dropped at short extra cover by Raina off Ojha.
However, Ojha had his man an over later as the young Australian's luck finally ran out. The left-arm spinner had Paine stumped to give the hosts their first wicket of the day.
North and Paine put together a valuable 149 runs for the sixth wicket to make things better for their side. It was the best partnership of the Australian innings.
Soon after, North registered his fifth Test ton, his first against India. Mitchell Johnson didn't survive long though. Ojha came back to have him leg before even before he could open his account.
North and Nathan Hauritz (17) though frustrated the Indians for quite some time. Dhoni gave Raina the ball in a bid to find a breakthrough, akin to the opening day when the part-timer had got rid of Ricky Ponting .
However, the ploy didn't work a second time.
North and Hauritz put together a valuable 43-run stand for the eighth wicket, before the former hit a Harbhajan delivery straight to Sreesanth at deep midwicket.
The veteran's 240-ball knock was inclusive of 17 hits to the fence and one over it. Hauritz was run out in the next over, courtesy a direct hit from Cheteshwar Pujara .
Ben Hilfenhaus (16 not out) regaled the crowd for a while, smashing a six over long-on off Harbhajan and following it up with a boundary. He was also fortunate, when Dhoni failed to stump him off Ojha.
However, Dhoni atoned for his blemish by stumping debutant Peter George (2) off Harbhajan.
Post-tea session: (128 runs,?34.2 overs, 2 wickets)
Virender Sehwag (30) began the proceedings in an expected manner, smashing Johnson to the cover point fence. He survived a run out attempt though.
In Johnson's third over, Sehwag went on an aggressive mode, smashing the third ball over third man for a maximum and hitting a boundary through covers two balls later.
Sehwag's treatment of Johnson forced Ponting to make the first bowling change and introduce Peter George in the eighth over. Sehwag showed no mercy to the debutant, hitting successive boundaries.
However, Hilfenhaus finally had him caught by Johnson at deep square-leg. Sehwag's 28-ball knock was inclusive of four hits to the fence and one over it.
Australia didn't have to wait long for their second breakthrough. Johnson struck in the next over, having Rahul Dravid (1) caught by North at third slip.
However, the introduction of Hauritz into the attack enabled Vijay to play more freely, the latter hitting amongst others a massive six over long-on off the spinner.
And then there was the Master Blaster trying to achieve yet another milestone. The duo's undefeated partnership for the third wicket helped India recover.
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