Sachin extends ‘Laxman rekha’ from Adelaide to Sydney

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Sachin extends ‘Laxman rekha’ from Adelaide to Sydney
2004/01/03

By CZ Bureau

In a magnificent display of strokeful batting Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman added 353 runs for the fourth wicket to put Steve Waugh’s farewell Test firmly in India’s control in Sydney on January 3. Sachin is still at the crease on 220.

India finished the second day on 650/5 in their first innings with Sachin accompanied by Parthiv Patel on 45.

The day’s play started with India resuming their first innings on the overnight score of 284/3 with Sachin and Laxman. Soon the two strokemakers began to grind the Australian bowling by belting the ball to all the corners of the SCG.

Laxman in particular was severe on the Aussie bowlers hitting a four in almost every over and was racing to the three-figure mark. But Sachin completed his hundred first, his fourth on Australian soil and 32nd overall, at par with Waugh.

Interestingly, the great Sunil Gavaskar also hit his 32nd century at the same venue in 1985-86, in Waugh’s debut series. That was Gavaskar’s 112th Test, this is Sachin 111th.

The duo of Sachin and Laxman scored more than hundred runs in the first session of play with India going to Lunch at 387/3 with Sachin on 110 and Laxman on 94.

Laxman got to his 7th hundred soon after Lunch. The SCG will surely continue to have fond memories for Laxman as he had scored a magnificent century here on India’s last tour too.

It was in the second session of play that Laxman overtook Sachin and got to his 150 before the Maestro could reach his. Laxman played very elegantly, there was minimum of effort in his shots off the fast bowlers, but even then the ball was racing to the fence. Against Stuart MacGill, Laxman used his feet consistently to drive him to long on for four from outside the off-stump against the spin.

The partnership between Sachin and Laxman is now a record 4th wicket partnership for India against Australia at the SCG (beating Dilip Vengsarkar's and Gundappa Viswanath's 125 in 1977-78).

India went to Tea at 495/3, with Sachin on 149 and Laxman on 159.

The Maestro got to his 150 soon after Tea, but that session accounted for the dismissal of Laxman who was clean bowled through the gate by Jason Gillespie. The Aussies were nothing but delighted to see the back of Laxman, who scored 178 runs hitting 30 exquisite boundaries.

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly scored 16 runs with three fours before having his stumps shattered by a scorching yorker from Brett Lee.

Sachin in the meanwhile went from strength to strength not only dominating the Australian attack, but almost making mincemeat of it. The Australian bowlers were found wanting as far as bowling to Sachin was concerned, who reached his double hundred with a flick for a single off Lee.

This is Sachin ‘s third double hundred but first not only on Australian soil but also outside India. Having already struck 30 fours in his innings of 220, Sachin surely has kept his best for the last Test.

With 650 runs on the board and only five wickets down, India are in the driver’s seat and it would take only a miracle from the Australian team to present their skipper a win in his last Test.

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