Tendulkar reaches landmark of 14,000 Test runs as India resist

Australia 478 India 128

(AFP/Getty Images)

Sachin Tendulkar passed 14,000 Test runs yesterday as India tried to gain a foothold on day two of the second Test against Australia in Bangalore.

The man from Mumbai, who earlier this week was named the International Cricket Council's Player of the Year, reached the landmark with a cut shot off Nathan Hauritz, bringing spectators and team-mates alike to their feet at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

He finished the day unbeaten on 44 as the home side recovered from 38 for 2 to reach 128 without further loss at stumps in reply to the tourists' tally of 478, in which Marcus North starred with 128.

Virender Sehwag got the home side off to a bright start in their reply with 30 off 27 balls before he was caught by Mitchell Johnson at deep square-leg off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus. Johnson then accounted for Rahul Dravid for one, caught by North at third slip, which brought Tendulkar out to the middle, where he and Murali Vijay set about rebuilding India's innings.

Earlier, North, under pressure to retain his place in the Australian line-up for the Ashes, racked up a tally of 128, which featured 17 fours and a six. Alongside half-centuries from captain Ricky Ponting (77) and Tim Paine (59), it put the tourists in a strong position to square the two-Test series after suffering defeat in the opening match in Mohali.

Harbhajan Singh proved to be India's most effective attacking weapon as he snared North and then wrapped up the Australian innings when Peter George was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off his spin-bowling, leaving him with figures of 4 for 148.

Australia resumed yesterday morning on 285 for 5 and reached lunch 99 runs better off without losing a wicket. North progressed to his century in the second session but his first-session partner Paine was stumped by India skipper Dhoni off Pragyan Ojha with the score on 405.

Ojha struck again to trap Johnson lbw for a seventh-ball duck before Harbhajan finally dismissed North as he holed out to Shanthakumaran Sreesanth at deep midwicket. Hauritz added 17 before he was unluckily run out by a direct hit from Cheteshwar Pujara, after the batsman lost his bat as he attempted to slide it into the crease, before George's exit at the hands of Harbhajan left Hilfenhaus stranded on 16.

* JP Duminy hit the highest score by a South African in Twenty20 international cricket yesterday, smashing 96 from just 54 balls to help his side wrap up the two-match series against Zimbabwe with an eight-run win in Kimberley.

Bangalore Scoreboard

M.Chinnaswamy Stadium (First and second days of five): India, with eight first-innings wickets in hand, are 350 runs behind Australia

Australia won toss

AUSTRALIA First Innings

Runs6s4sBls

S R Watson c Dhoni b Ojha570988

S M Katich c Dravid b Singh430795

*R T Ponting lbw b Raina77012147

M J Clarke c Raina b Singh140126

M E K Hussey c Sehwag b Khan340445

M J North c Sreesanth b Singh128117240

†T D Paine st Dhoni b Ojha5908133

M G Johnson lbw b Ojha0007

N M Hauritz run out170251

B W Hilfenhaus not out161217

P R George st Dhoni b Singh2006

Extras (b 9, lb 12, w 1, nb 9)31

Total (141 overs)478

Fall: 1-99, 2-113, 3-132, 4-198, 5-256, 6-405, 7-415, 8-458, 9-459, 10-478.

Bowling: Z Khan 23-5-84-1, S Sreesanth 21-1-79-0, P P Ojha 42-7-120-3, H Singh 43-3-148-4, V Sehwag 4-1-7-0, S K Raina 8-1-19-1.

INDIA First Innings

Runs6s4sBls

M Vijay not out421483

V Sehwag c Johnson b Hilfenhaus301428

R S Dravid c North b Johnson1007

S R Tendulkar not out440688

Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 5)11

Total (2 wkts, 34.2 overs)128

Fall: 1-37, 2-38.

To bat: C A Pujara, S K Raina, *†M S Dhoni, H Singh, Z Khan, P P Ojha, S Sreesanth.

Bowling: B W Hilfenhaus 9-2-18-1, M G Johnson 7-2-30-1, P R George 5-1-18-0, N M Hauritz 11.2-0-45-0, M J Clarke 2-0-11-0.

Umpires: B F Bowden & I J Gould.