Tendulkar misses out 100th ton, India struggling at 193/5

London, Jul 23 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar failed to notch up
his 100th international century at the hallowed turf at Lord's
as India struggled to reach 193 for five at tea on the third
day of the historic first cricket Test against England here
Saturday.
Tendulkar, who came into the match with one ton short of
becoming the first cricketer to score 100 international
centuries fell for 34 off the bowling of Stuart Broad, three
runs short of his highest score at the 'home of cricket'.
A hush silence descended in the Indian camp even as the
big crowd at the Lord's rose in standing ovation as Tendulkar
made his way towards the dressing room. The Indian batting
maestro will now have to wait for his milestone.
After Tendulkar's departure, India lost VVS Laxman and
Suresh Raina in quick succession and the visitors found
themselves on the ropes at 193 for 5, still 281 runs adrift of
the England first innings total of 474 for eight declared.
The visitors need another 82 runs to avoid follow on with
five first innings wickets in hand.
At the break, Rahul Dravid and captain Mahendra Singh
Dhoni were holding fort at 59 and four respectively.
In all three wickets fell in the afternoon which could
have been worse had England accepted two chances in one over,
the wickets-on-offer being no less than that of VVS Laxman and
Rahul Dravid.
Broad had just accounted for Tendulkar (34) caught in the
second slip when in his next over both Laxman and Dravid were
let-off by butter-fingered England slipsmen.
Laxman was on nought when a leg-cutter jumped from a spot
and and took the edge of his bat to first slip where Andrew
Strauss dropped an absolute sitter.
Five deliveries later, Dravid, then on 42, was drawn to
an outswinger and edged it to gully where this time Graeme
Swann flung himself to his right but could not hold on to it.
If both chances had been taken, Broad could have had the
trinity of Indian batting Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid, with
99 Test centuries between them in a matter of eight balls.
There was no hint of such a dramatic twist in the tale
when the pair of Tendulkar and Dravid began the afternoon
session in an imperious manner.
Tendulkar, in particular, looked in imperious touch,
striking the first delivery of the afternoon from James
Anderson past slips for four and later flicking him for yet
another boundary in the same over.
He then drove Chris Tremlett through covers, rocking on
to his backfoot and piercing the offside with an open blade
for yet another boundary.
A guided shot past slip off Tremlett gave him his fourth
four of the afternoon and the fifth one arrived soon
thereafter, another backfoot drive through covers though this
time the bowler to suffer was Anderson.
Dravid caught the hint from the other end and himself
reeled off a series of fours off his own bat. His first two
fours of the afternoon were steers through to third man off
Anderson and Tremlett before he helped himself to three fours
in one Anderson over.
The flurry of fours—in all 10 boundaries in the first
seven overs after lunch—made packed stands sit back in
anticipation for glorious stroke-making from two of game's
greatest run scorers.
It was not to be as the introduction of Broad changed the
entire complexion of the match. Tendulkar was brought forward
to a fullish delivery and could only edge a drive into the
slips to be dismissed for 34.
Laxman (10) was unable to profit from the grassed chance
and flicked Tremlett rather too well to carry it straight to
Jonathan Trot at long leg. Graeme Swann then built upon the
success by winning a LBW shout against Suresh Raina (0).
In all 30 overs were bowled in the middle session and 91
runs accrued to India, albeit at the loss of three wickets.
PTI AS
KAP