Tendulkar flays England attack with 27th Test century

Ahmedabad, India, December 13: Sachin Tendulkar slammed a masterful 103 to help India avoid a follow-on on the third day of the second cricket Test against England here on Thursday.

Tendulkar's 27th Test century enabled India to reach 220-5 at tea in reply to England's 407. Venkatsai Laxman and Virender Sehwag were unbeaten on 34 and two, respectively. India were in danger of following on after being reduced to 93-4 in the morning session, but Tendulkar came to his team's rescue at the right time with a big knock.

He joins Australians Steve Waugh and Allan Border who also have 27 Test hundreds to their credit. Only Australian Don Bradman (29) and Indian Sunil Gavaskar (34) are ahead of him.

The master batsman dominated a 118-run stand for the fifth wicket with Laxman to neutralise the tourists' early advantage. He struck one six off off-spinner Richard Dawson over long-on and 12 fours in his 197-ball knock.

Tendulkar fell attacking, driving seamer Matthew Hoggard to Nasser Hussain at mid-on just before tea.

Runs were hard to come by in the first session against defensive England bowling, but Tendulkar improvised brilliantly in the afternoon with a flurry of wristy strokes.

He reached his hundred with a pulled boundary off Hoggard as India scored 94 in two hours. In contrast, the first session had produced just 55 runs. Hoggard and fellow-seamer Andrew Flintoff had put India in trouble as they shared two early wickets after the hosts had resumed at 71-2.

Rahul Dravid added just two to his overnight score of five before edging Hoggard to wicket-keeper James Foster.

Skipper Sourav Ganguly was not allowed to settle down as he scored five before edging Flintoff to the slips where substitute Martyn Ball took a low catch.

Even Tendulkar, a free-stroking batsman, was unable to take liberties against a defensive England attack as India added 20 runs in the opening hour.

Hoggard kept testing the Indians with a tight line of attack on or around off-stump, while left-arm spinner Ashley Giles attacked the leg in order to induce errors from the batsmen.