17-Oct-2008 81
Sachin Tendulkar (88) beat Brian Lara as the highest run-getter in Test cricket and became the first member of the 12,000-run club as India laid the foundation for a big first innings total on the opening day of the second Test against Australia in Mohali today.
Gautam gambhir (67) put on 70 runs in 14-odd overs with his Delhi captain Virender Sehwag (35) to provide a rollicking start and then added 76 with Rahul Dravid (39) to lay the perfect platform for a huge total.
Australia, however, hit back in the second session picking three wickets for 70 runs before Tendulkar and Ganguly (batting 54) propped up India with a 142-run stand.
Ganguly had nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (2 not out) for company as India finished day one at 311 for five wickets.
Tendulkar`s sterling 88 came off 111 balls and included 10 hits to the fence before peter siddle removed him in the 82nd over.
Fifteen runs separating him from overtaking Lara, Tendulkar walked in amid a standing ovation and glided a siddle delivery for three runs that took him past lara`s tally of 11,953 runs. The next five minutes at the PCA Stadium saw a befitting celebration with Australian players shaking hands with him and acknowledging his genius. In fact play was held up for a few minutes as Mohali saw some pre-Diwali fireworks.
Subsequently, a single off Cameron White came as his 12,000th Test run and in between Ganguly, playing his 111th test, became only the fourth Indian -- after Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid -- to have 7000 Test runs under his belt.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out for the toss this morning as regular skipper Anil Kumble was left celebrating his 38th birthday nursing a shoulder injury.
Dhoni`s decision to bat first on the track was vindicated soon as Sehwag and Gambhir scored at a brisk rate, making the Australian attack look pretty pedestrian.
India blooded leg-spinner Amit Mishra in place of Kumble while Australia also handed a Test cap to Siddle, who replaced the injured Stuart Clark.
Taking a dig at critics clamouring for his retirement, Tendulkar today said he converted stones thrown at him into milestones. ``People sometimes throw stones and you converted them into milestones,`` Tendulkar said today after surpassing West Indian legend Brian Lara`s earlier record 11,953 Test runs. Scoring a half-century saw Tendulkar setting another world record of maximum 50 half-centuries in Test cricket.
