Sachin Tendulkar hit his 40th Test century on the first day of the fourth Test against Australia at Vidarbha CricketAssociationStadiu
| m, Jamtha in Nagpur on Thursday. Tendulkar reached the milestone when he cut a delivery by Australian Test debutant Jason Krejza delivery to the point boundary for his 12th four and notch his 10th Test century against Australia. The standout shot in Tendulkar's innings was a superb straight drive off Brett Lee that was only a gentle push but didn't give the fielders any chance. Earlier, Krejza dismissed VVS Laxman for 64 to reduce India to 262/4. Laxman made room to cut, the ball bounced a little more, Laxman edged and wicket keeper Brad Haddin fiddled but latched on to the ball. Laxman, hit his 37th Test fifty in his 100th Test and his knock of 64 came up with the help of five fours and he added 146 runs for the fourth wicket with Tendulkar. Tendulkar was dropped on 85 by Mitchell Johnson at long off and 98 by Brett Lee, both off Krejza. Before lunch, Sehwag and Vijay gave India a good start with an opening stand of 98 runs off 17.5 overs. Test debutant Jason Krejza, after taking initial punishment from the Indians, took two wickets to bring Australia back in the game. But it was Shane Watson who gave Australia the much-needed breakthrough, when he surprised Vijay (33) with a bouncer who edged it to keeper Brad Haddin. Krejza then got into the act by dismissing Rahul Dravid and for a duck and Sehwag for 66. Lack of form was evident in the way Dravid poked at a delivery and gloved it to forward short leg for Simon Katich to take the catch and gave Krejza his first Test wicket. Soon after, Sehwag looking to cut to third man, edged the ball onto his stumps, for Krejza's second wicket. Sehwag's rapid-fire knock came off 69 deliveries and was studded with nine fours and a six. Earlier, Sehwag and Test debutant Vijay rattled the Australians by scoring at more than five runs per over, after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first on a superb batting wicket. Sehwag got off the mark with a square drive that raced to the boundary and Vijay too got his first runs in Test cricket with a sweetly timed cover drive in the first over by Brett Lee. Sehwag played the way only he can, scoring at every opportunity given outside off-stump and also flicked to mid-wicket with wristy elegance. He didn't allow Krejza to settle down hitting him for a four and a six in his first over. Sehwag completed his 16th Test fifty off just 45 balls cracking seven fours and a six. Vijay was tested by a few short deliveries but he left them well dropping his wrists, and even though he was peppered by bouncers now and then, he came well forward on the front foot and got his first boundary in Test cricket with a superb cover drive exhibiting exquisite timing and superb balance. The kind of understanding that both Vijay and Sehwag showed in their brisk running between the wickets, it didn't look like that both the openers were playing together for the first time at the international level. Vijay's assured presence at the crease prompted praise even from former Australian captain Allan Border. This is Laxman's 100th Test, Sourav Ganguly's last Test and Harbhajan Singh would be looking to get his 300th Test wicket. Australia have replaced Stuart Clark with Krejza who makes his Test debut making him the third debutant for Australia in this series. |
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