Cricket: Tendulkar leads Indian run feast

India 512 Sri Lanka 66 for 1

Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar plundered sparkling centuries yesterday as India piled up the runs in the final Test against Sri Lanka in Bombay.

India were dismissed for 512 and then Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 50 off 44 balls as Sri Lanka replied with 66 for 1 from 15 overs by the close of the second day's play on the easy-paced Wankhede Stadium wicket.

Jayasuriya, who hit nine boundaries, was caught in the slips off the leg-spinner Anil Kumble two overs before stumps. Marvan Atapattu and the nightwatchman Kumara Dharmasena were together at the close.

Ganguly made his highest Test score of 173 and Tendulkar finally struck form with 148, full of strokes, during a record-breaking stand of 256 for the fourth wicket.

The partnership was India's best for the fourth wicket in Test cricket, surpassing the 212 by Vijay Manjrekar and Vijay Hazare against England at Leeds way back in 1952.

"Records are meant to be broken," said a delighted Tendulkar, who also surpassed the 4,000-run mark in his 58th Test. "This partnership was what the team needed and I am happy both Saurav and I came good."

The Indian captain was confident of putting the Sri Lankans under pressure over the next three days. "There is still something in this wicket for the fast bowlers," he said. "They will be able to generate a lot more pace and bounce."

Second day; Sri Lanka won toss

INDIA - First Innings

(Overnight: 247 for 3)

S C Ganguly c L De Silva b Dharmasena 173

*S R Tendulkar b Pushpakumara 148

M Azharuddin lbw Pushpakumara 0

A Kumble b Pushpakumara 6

R K Chauhan lbw Dharmasena 4

A Kuruvilla c Pushpakumara b Wickramasinghe 6

J Srinath not out 15

Venkatesh Prasad run out 3

Extras (nb6, lb15, b3, w4) 28

Total 512

Fall: 4-471 5-475 6-476 7-481 8-487 9-502

Bowling: Vaas 26-4-86-0 (3nb); Wickramasinghe 31.1-10-76-2 (1nb); Pushpakumara 28-5-108-3 (1nb 4w); Dharmasena 48-12-144-3 (1nb); Ranatunga 17-7-35-1; Jayasuriya 12-2-45-0.

SRI LANKA - First Innings

S T Jayasuriya c Azharuddin b Kumble 50

M S Atapattu not out 15

H D P K Dharamsena not out 0

Extras (nb1) 1

Total (for 1) 66

Fall: 1-65.

To bat: *A Ranatunga, R S Mahanama, P A De Silva, H P Tillakaratne, S K L De Silva, C J U P W Vaas, G P Wickramasinghe and K R Pushpakumara

Bowling (to date): Srinath 6-0-43-0 (nb-1), Venkatesh Prasad 4-3-6-0, Kuruvilla 2-0-10-0, Kumble 2-1-6-1, Chauhan 1-0-1-0.

Umpires: A V Jayaprakash (Ind) and S A Bucknor (WI).