Tendulkar Shines to Give India the Edge

A sparkling unbeaten 124 from Sachin Tendulkar gave India the edge on the opening day of the fourth Test against Australia at Adelaide, a game the Indians must win to secure a remarkable 2-2 series draw. Having won the toss on a typical Adelaide belter, India closed on 309 for five, with Tendulkar's 39th Test hundred the jewel in the tourists' crown.

There remains plenty of work to do, of course: India won here four years ago after conceding over 550 in the first innings, a feat Australia replicated against England in late 2006. But if Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, undefeated on six after being badly dropped on three by Matthew Hayden at first slip off Mitchell Johnson as the evening shadows lengthened, can coax runs out of the tail, 400 should be the bare minimum. Another cracker could be on the cards.

But for the time being, this was all about Tendulkar, almost certainly playing his last Test in Australia. He now has 451 runs in this series at an average of 90 and might never have played better. He reached 50 in 77 balls, then required only 56 more deliveries to reach his ninth hundred against Australia. Tellingly, six have been in Australia itself: only Brisbane of the major Test venues has eluded him.

Cautious at first, he flourished against the left-arm wrist-spin of Brad Hogg, taking 54 runs off the 53 balls he faced from him, including two of his three straight sixes. Michael Clarke conceded the other - a mow over long-on that took Tendulkar to 98. The next ball was eased through extra-cover for four and the celebrations began. Brian Lara's world-record tally of 11,953 Test runs is now just 213 away.

Without Tendulkar and his fifth-wicket stand of 126 with VVS Laxman, India might have blown it in batting conditions ripe for exploitation. They lost Irfan Pathan, opening in place of Wasim Jaffer after Harbhajan Singh was recalled to boost the bowling, in the eighth over of the day as Johnson found bounce and seam movement outside off-stump, and it was 82 for two shortly before lunch when Rahul Dravid fended Johnson to Ricky Ponting at second slip.

Virender Sehwag played attractively for 63 before cutting flat-footedly at Brett Lee and top-edging through to Adam Gilchrist to make it 122 for three, and when Sourav Ganguly fell to Hogg for the fourth time in the series, hit on the front pad as he tried to sweep, India were a pivotal 156 for four.

But Tendulkar was joined by Laxman, the other Indian batsman Australians fear most, and gradually the damage was repaired. India, though, know it could have been worse. Laxman survived a simple chance to Gilchrist off Lee when he had 37, and it needed an effort ball from the aggrieved bowler to end a stand that might have taken the game away from Australia: shortly after Laxman had completed a half-century, he got into a tangle against a short one and gloved a simple catch to Gilchrist.

Had Hayden caught Dhoni with five overs to go, Australia might have made a crucial incision or two into a long tail with the second new ball. As it is, India will now hope Tendulkar can start all over again tomorrow. Another display like this, and Australia might be struggling to save the game.