Sachin Tendulkar who is almost playing his last Test match at Adelaide Oval smashed an unbeaten knock of 124 runs to help India to pile op 309 runs on the board for the lost of five wickets at Stumps on Day1. The other not out batsman is M.S. Dhoni who is batting on 6 runs of 54 balls.
The 'Little Master', who blazed away to his 39th Test century, played the lone hand in the Indian innings as none of the other batsmen could make their starts count. The notable thing about Tendulkar's 39th Test hundred was how he looked to be in a zone of his own. Not one other batsman looked half as much in command as him, which was a bit surprising on what is considered, at least as of now, to be a batting strip.
Earlier Indian captain Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to bat first on batting friendly wicket. India began at a brisk pace with Pathan donning the opener's role in the absence of Wasim Jaffer, who was replaced by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Pathan looked good in his brief stint until the southpaw played one away from the body and Gilchrist gloved the simple catch.
After Pathan Dismissal Rahul Dravid (18 runs) arrives to the crease and look solid in the partnership of 48 runs for the 2nd wicket with Virendra Sehwag (63 runs) before giving simple catch at first slip to Ricky Ponting on bowling of Mitchell Johnson. Indian went on to lunch with no more hiccups.
Lee and Hogg struck for Australia in the post-lunch session claiming Virender Sehwag (63) and Sourav Ganguly (seven). Both batsmen were unlucky to be dismissed. Sehwag departed soon after lunch edging a Lee delivery to the slips but replays showed the Aussie spearhead overstepping by a long margin.
However inform batsman V.V.S Laxman (51 runs) and Sachin Tendulkar (124* runs) put on 129 runs for the fourth wicket to put India back on track. Laxman was got out just 10 overs before close of play on the bowling of Brett Lee.
Australia: Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (WK),Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark.
