Highest Run in Cricket Test Match World Record by Sachin Tendulkar

WHEN the fireworks stopped and the smoke cleared, Sachin Tendulkar was the most successful batsman in the history of Test cricket and Australia was consigned to a long, hot afternoon in Mohali.

One minute after tea, Tendulkar dispelled his own anxiety and that of an entire nation when, at long last, he sent a deft glide to third man to inherit the world record from the princely West Indies batsman Brian Lara.

As India's idol turned for a third run, fireworks went off around the stadium and the game stopped for several minutes while each Australian player, led by captain Ricky Ponting, rushed to shake Tendulkar's hand, and a nation celebrated the batsman who now stands above all others on the list of the game's greatest run-scorers.

The sense of relief was palpable as Tendulkar removed his helmet and turned his face towards the sky, as he always has done in marking each of his 39 centuries, for his progress towards the world record had been slow and painstaking.

The 35-year-old came to the crease just after lunch needing 15 runs to claim Lara's throne, and released some pressure with an exquisite cover drive creamed off the sweet spot of his bat off Mitchell Johnson.

To heighten the suspense, he went to tea with two runs still to get, and when he steered a Peter Siddle delivery away to break the record, it was as if a weight had been lifted. It was appropriate that this most majestic of milestones came against the Australians, who also witnessed Lara's record when he passed Allan Border's mark at the Adelaide Oval in 2005.

Tendulkar did not stop at 11,954, combining with another of Australia's old tormentors Sourav Ganguly to inflict further punishment on the tourists' improvised attack to raise his first half-century in 11 innings.

However, Tendulkar's memorable day turned sour just before stumps when he was caught by Matthew Hayden off Siddle for 88. The Victorian debutant followed in the footsteps of his Bushrangers captain Cameron White, who had claimed Tendulkar as his first Test scalp in Bangalore.

The partnership of Tendulkar and Ganguly halted an Australian revival led by Johnson, who was the pick of the bowlers in Bangalore and claimed the vital wickets of Gautam Gambhir and V.V.S. Laxman to slow India's momentum in the second session.

After Ponting lost an important toss, Australia conceded 104 runs in the first session, as Gambhir and Virender Sehwag attacked the boundaries, but regained some control to claim 3-70 in the second.

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Rahul Dravid got an inside edge onto his stumps off Brett Lee, and Johnson struck immediately afterwards to glean an edge from Gambhir.

The left-hander began the match by crashing Lee through mid-on for four and found his groove with some sweet, confident cover drives, raised his first half-century against Australia and India galloped along at more than four runs an over to be 1-104 at lunch.

Gambhir, Sehwag and Dravid creamed 16 boundaries between them in the first session, during which Australia's only triumph was to remove the dangerous Sehwag, who got an edge down the leg side when Johnson dug one in short before he could build on his ominous 35 from 36 balls. It was a great relief for Australia, and a great disappointment for Sehwag. His departure did not, however, wrest the initiative away from India.

Having tried all his quicks and taken out his third slip, Ponting turned to Michael Clarke for some spin just before lunch, but Gambhir twice lifted him over mid-on to be unbeaten on 53 at lunch.

Anil Kumble failed to overcome a shoulder injury and handed the captaincy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lead India for only the second time in a Test. Glimpsing the bare patches on the pitch, the home team chose to replace Kumble with another leg-spinner, debutant Amit Mishra, rather than select a third seam bowler such as Munaf Patel.

There was little swing in the air but plenty of carry off the pitch, and Siddle's second spell illustrated how big a task it would be to dismiss India's master batsmen on such a placid strip. When he strayed into Dravid's pads, the experienced Bangalorian worked him with his wrists through the on-side for four.

Meantime, reserve opener Phil Jaques flew home from India yesterday after succumbing to the niggling back injury that has plagued him during the tour.

A replacement for Jaques, who was displaced by Simon Katich as preferred opener before the series, will be named later in the Test, with Shaun Marsh, David Hussey and Brad Hodge among the batsmen to choose from.

"Phil has a long-standing problem with his lower back that has been manageable up until now," said team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.

"The point has come where the injury is significantly limiting his ability to play, so he will return to Australia to seek a specialist opinion on the best course of action."