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UPDATE 3-Cricket-Tendulkar guides India to record breaking win

(updates details)

By Sanjay Rajan

CHENNAI, India, Dec 15 - Sachin Tendulkar stroked
his 41st test century to help India record the fourth-highest
successful run chase in test cricket and beat England by six
wickets in a sensational match on Monday.

A game which looked in serious jeopardy after the Mumbai
gunmen attacks last month ended in jubilation for the home side
after India clinched the most unlikely of wins having been set
387 for victory.

No test side on India soil has made more runs in the final
innings for victory.

Tendulkar hit 103 not out and raised 163 runs for the
unbroken fifth wicket with left-hander Yuvraj Singh (85 not out)
to help the hosts achieve the stiff target on an engrossing
final day.

India finished at 387 for four, with Tendulkar sweeping
debutant spinner Graeme Swann to the fence to herald the victory
and his century. He celebrated by punching the air and then
hugging his partner.

England grabbed two wickets in the first session to tilt the
scales apparently in their favour after India had resumed on 131
for one, thanks to Virender Sehwag's racy 83 overnight.

MASTERLY FASHION

But Tendulkar first shared in a 42-run partnership with
Vangipurappu Laxman (26) to help India reach 213 for three at
lunch and then took the game away in Yuvraj's company in
masterly fashion.

England had declared their second innings at 311 for nine
after tea on the fourth day after opener Andrew Strauss and Paul
Collingwood scored 108 each, to set India a mammoth target.

Tendulkar, who hit 109 in the final Australia test last
month, and Yuvraj saw off a testing period after lunch when fast
bowler Steve Harmison, brought on for the first time on the
final day, and Andrew Flintoff went all out for eight overs.

The Indian pair then got on top of the bowling attack,
batting together for 41.5 overs to help India achieve their
second highest successful run chase, only behind the 406-4
against the West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976.

Tendulkar, who made 37 in the first innings, batted fluently
for his second successive test century, stroking nine fours in
his 196-ball effort and was particularly severe on spinners
Swann and Monty Panesar.

Yuvraj, who took the middle-order spot vacated by the
retired Saurav Ganguly, began shakily before finding his rhythm,
hitting eight fours and a six.

Flintoff dismissed Rahul Dravid for four in a fiery opening
spell on the final morning before fellow paceman James Anderson
removed gutsy opener Gautam Gambhir for 66.

Swann, who took two wickets in his first test over in the
first innings, struck immediately after lunch when he had Laxman
caught by Ian Bell at forward short-leg for his second wicket in
the innings.

But both spinners looked ineffective in the last two
sessions and went for over hundred runs each in the innings.

England resumed their aborted tour after tight security was
promised for the two tests in the wake of last month's attacks
in Mumbai that killed 179 people. Media reports in India and
Britain said 3000 commandoes were guarding them.

The second and final test in the series starts at Mohali on
Friday.

(Editing Jon Bramley)

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