Tendulkar departs, India five down

Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat as India on Friday went into the second cricket Test against Australia without their regular skipper Anil Kumble.

Kumble had sustained a shoulder injury and could not recover in time, handing leg-spinner Amit Mishra his maiden Test cap.

The Australian camp also grappled with fitness problem and blooded Victorian pacer Petter Siddle in place of Stuart Clark who is nursing an elbow injury sustained in the same Bangalore Test.

The opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir got the team off to a brisk start. Both the batsmen were scoring freely on a pitch that is flat and suitable for batting. Sehwag was in usual murderous mood as he hammered boundaries all over the park. Gambhir on the other hand was picking his singles and rotating the strike.

Sehwag, would find himself very unfortunate to have nicked the ball on the leg side, to be taken by keeper Brad Haddin. He again fell victim to Mitchell Johnson. The new man in was Rahul Dravid. India were 70/1.

After the solid start and the dismissal of Sehwag, both Gambhir and Dravid continued the Indian innings as they piled the runs and continued to build a partnership. In this process Gambhir also crossed his seventh 50. India were 104/1 at lunch.

Post lunch, both Gambhir and Dravid continued to pile the runs. Both the batsmen were scoring freely and forming a good partnership. Brett Lee broke the partnership as Rahul Dravid got an inside edge onto his stumps.

India then lost another wicket in the space of three balls. Gautam Gambhir, who was batting very well got a faint outside edge to Mitchell Johnson to the keeper as India were 146/3.

The Indin middle order was giving away the start the openers had provided. After the quick departure of Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman also didnt last long as he also edged the ball down the leg side to be taken by the keeper. India were 163/4.

Sachin Tendulkar, moved into striking zone of his record to surpass Brian Lara and become the highest run scorer in Test cricket. He now needs two runs to achieve the feat. India were 174/4 at tea.

Sachin Tendulkar, sliced the ball to the third man region to get the boundary and become the highest run-getter in Test Cricket.

After the euphoria of achieving the record, Sachin Tendulkar, continued to pile the runs along with Sourav Ganguly. Both the batsmen played some sensible cricket by picking singles and rotating the strike. India were 241/4.

Sachin Tendulkar, fell just 12 runs short of what could have been his 40th Test Hundred. He was caught in first slip as he went for an ambitious cover drive. Sachin generously gave his wicket away to another debutant as he fell to Paul Siddle on 88. India then sent out their nightwatchman in the form of Ishant Sharma. India were 310/5.