الرئيسية
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar runs after a shot
during the third day of the third test cricket match against West Indies
in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
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By C. RAJSHEKHAR RAO, AP
MUMBAI, India (AP) — Ravichandran Ashwin achieved what Sachin
Tendulkar couldn't, scoring a hundred as the third and final test
against West Indies looked headed for a draw on Friday with the visitors
leading by 189 runs with eight wickets and one day left.
Tendulkar
fell for 94 in his bid to score a 100th hundred, much to the
disappointment of fans at his home venue of Wankhede Stadium.
But
Ashwin's 103 off 118 balls and his crucial 97-run stand with Virat
Kohli (52) helped India total 482 to trail by 108 run after both first
innings.
West Indies reached 81-2 in their second innings by
stumps on the fourth day, with Kraigg Brathwaite not out on 34 and
Darren Bravo unbeaten on 27.
Ashwin also took 5-156 to become the
third Indian player after Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar to claim a
century and five-wicket haul in the same test innings, but Ashwin is
only playing in his third test.
"He came out and started playing
shots while I was trying to handle the pressure, trying to get the
situation right at the time," Kohli said of Ashwin. "He was pretty
relaxed because someone who is a bowler and can bat a bit, the
confidence of bowling well rubs off (on the batting).
"It was
good he was in that kind of space, he came out and timed the ball well.
It was good to have him scoring from one end as I could bat myself in
and spend more time in the middle."
A test-record total of 11
individual scores of 50 or more were made in the first innings of a test
from either side. The previous mark of 10 came in a test between
England and Australia at Manchester in 1934.
Ashwin struck 15
fours and two sixes from 118 balls, showing fine footwork and playing
some predetermined shots as well as entertaining an unhappy crowd
following Tendulkar's dismissal.
Tendulkar added 27 runs to his
overnight score before edging a delivery from pace bowler Ravi Rampaul
for Darren Sammy to take an easy catch at second slip.
"We had
our plans to unsettle him a little bit as we are fast bowlers and
bouncers are in our armoury, and we tried to use them as much as
possible," said Rampaul, who delivered a bouncer to Tendulkar with the
first delivery of the day. "We tried to attack him a little more and
tried to make him uncomfortable."
"The Little Master" hit three
fours and a six on Friday off 20 deliveries. He faced 153 deliveries in
all, striking eight fours and two sixes in total.
Tendulkar
strode confidently to the crease to start the morning and drove a
boundary in the first over off Rampaul with a stylish flick to the leg
side.
The new ball seemed to have no effect on Tendulkar as he
straight drove Rampaul for a four and paceman Fidel Edwards through the
covers for his third four of the morning.
He then had the crowd up on its feet as he moved into the 90s with a slashed six off Edwards over third man, taking him to 93.
The
100th century has been tensely anticipated since he notched two
hundreds during this year's World Cup to reach a total of 99.
Tendulkar
holds most of cricket's batting records, including the most runs and
centuries in tests and one-day internationals, as well as the highest
ODI score — 200 not out against South Africa last year. He has scored 51
test centuries and 48 ODI 100s.
Apart from Tendulkar's initial
defiance, West Indies' bowlers made full use of the new ball taken at
the start of the morning, dismissing V.V.S. Laxman in the second over of
the day without him adding to his overnight score of 32.
Laxman
was caught at gully by Marlon Samuels off Edwards, and the early removal
of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni immediately after Tendulkar's dismissal
pegged back the Indian side.
Dhoni was clean bowled for 8 by a pitched-up delivery from Rampaul as India slipped to 331-6 in the 12th over of the morning.
The hosts entered the match hoping for a series whitewash after easy wins in New Delhi and Kolkata.