Tendulkar and Vijay flay Aussies

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 on Monday.

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.

Tendulkar finished the day unbeaten on a monumental 191 and opener Vijay scored 139 during a record stand of 308 runs 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 eighties for almost 45 minutes, reached his century by smashing off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for two sixes over long-on.

Vijay, playing the Test only because Gautam Gambhir was ruled out with a knee injury, languished for an hour in the nineties 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.

“It was a really special knock for me,” said the 25-year-old Vijay, who is playing his eighth Test.

“It was a dream to play with Sachin. He helped me a lot and gave me pep-talks through the day. I was just focussed on each ball and did not try to think too far ahead.

“I just want to do well whenever I get a chance.”

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) put on 61 for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar when he drove Michael Clarke to mid-on, where Ben Hilfenhaus took a low catch.

“It’s been a tough day,” said Johnson. “As a fast bowler, you want to see some bounce and carry, but this one was a bit too slow.

“We stuck through the day and got a few wickets in the end to put some pressure on them. We saw signs of deterioration in the wicket at the end. AFP

Australia 1st innings 

478 (S. Watson 57, S. Katich 43, R. Ponting 77, M. North 128, T. Paine 59, H. 4-148, P. Ojha 3-120)

INDIA 1st innings
 (overnight 128-2)

M. Vijay c Paine b Johnson		139
V. Sehwag c Johnson b Hilfenhaus	 30
R. Dravid c North b Johnson		  1
S. Tendulkar not out			191
C. Pujara lbw b Johnson			  4
S. Raina c Hilfenhaus b Clarke		 32
M. Dhoni not out			 11

Extras: (b6, lb15, w6)			 27
TOTAL (for five wickets, 122 overs)	435
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Sehwag), 2-38 (Dravid), 3-346 (Vijay), 4-350 (Pujara), 5-411 (Raina).
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 25-5-61-1, Johnson 23-2-89-3 (w6), George 15-1-38-0,
 Haurtiz 39-4-153-0, Clarke 8-0-27-1, Watson 7-0-28-0, Katich 5-0-18-0.