Chennai: Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 65 to keep India on track on Monday as it chased a record 387-run victory target on the fifth and final day of the opening Test against England.
Tendulkar, international cricket’s all-time leading run-scorer, shared an unbroken 80-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Yuvraj Singh (45 not out) as India reached 304 for four at tea, needing to score another 83 from 40 overs to complete the most successful chase on Indian soil.
His composed innings contained six boundaries from 142 deliveries.
England made 316 and 311-9 declared in its two innings, while India was dismissed for 241, conceding a 75-run lead in the first innings.
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No team has successfully chased down a fourth innings target so large in India, and only three have done so anywhere in Test history.
The highest successful fourth innings chase in India was 276-5 by the West Indies at New Delhi in 1987.
India’s best effort in winning a Test match at home when batting last was 256-8 against Australia at Mumbai in the 1964-65 series, but it did make 347 in the tied Test here against Australia in 1986.
The highest fourth innings score to avoid defeat in a Test in India was the home team’s 364-6 in the drawn Test at New Delhi against Pakistan in 1987.
India’s chase got off to a rousing start Sunday as opener Virender Sehwag smashed 83 off 68 balls and put on 117 runs for the opening stand with Gautam Gambhir, but it took an early jolt Monday as former captain Dravid (4) departed early.
Resuming on Monday at 131 for one, India shrugged off the loss of overnight batsmen Dravid (4) and Gambhir (66) to aggressively pursue the target, adding 82 and 91 runs in the first two sessions.
Dravid’s poor form continued as he was caught behind played at an outswinger from Andrew Flintoff (1-55).
India’s task became tougher when Gambhir cut James Anderson (1-30) to Paul Collingwood at gully. Gambhir’s 201-minute knock featured seven boundaries from 139 deliveries.
VVS Laxman added 41 runs for the fourth wicket with Tendulkar, but departed soon after lunch as off-spinner Graeme Swann elicited an easy catch to Ian Bell at short-leg.
Yuvraj had some anxious moments against Flintoff on a wicket where occasional deliveries kept low, but came out of his shell to pull left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for a towering six over mid-wicket.
Yuvraj’s 68-ball knock featured four other boundaries.
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