15 Dec : Riding on the masterly century of Sachin Tendulkar, India romped home in the first Test of the RBS Cup with six wickets in hand as India now lead the two Test series 1-0.Sachin dropped anchor hitting a brilliant 41st test century and Yuvraj blazed away, as the duo led India through a historic run chase in the Chennai test.
Both proved to be great finishers taking India to a scintilating win against England at Chepauk.Sachin also added another feather to his cap by becoming the third international player after Mathew Hayden and Brian Lara to complete 1000 or more Test runs in five calender years.
Despite Tendulkar’s feat, the man of the match award was clinched by Najafgarh Nawab Virender SEhwag, quite rightfully, sinc e it was Viru’s terrific knock of 83 on day Four that set the base for this memorable win.India chased 387 runs in the fourth innings to go one up in the series and this becomes the fourth highest score that has been chased in the history of Test cricket.
Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh stitched together an unbroken 80-run stand for the fifth wicket to put India on the threshold of a memorable win against England on the fifth and final day of the first cricket Test in Chennai on Monday.
At tea interval, India were 304 for four, 83 runs short of victory target of 387 with Tendulkar on 65 (142 balls, 6X4) and Yuvraj on 45 (68 balls, 4X4, 1X6) at the crease with a minimum of 40 overs remaining for the day.
With both Tendulkar and Yuvraj holding the aces against the English bowlers, India were in sight of a historic win.A win on Monday would surpass the highest ever fourth innings target achieved at any venue in the country 276 by the West Indies at Delhi in 1987-88.
Tendulkar who struck his 52nd fifty and crossed 1000-run mark this year, played the anchor role using his experience to gather runs mostly through singles and twos, with the bowlers, particularly the spinners, bowling in right areas.
Tendulkar, who consumed 107 balls for his fifty which came in the 66th over with a single to the point area off Andrew Flintoff, was happy playing the second fiddle to Laxman (26) and then to Yuvraj.
He was also found counselling Yuvraj time and again whenever the latter showed undue urgency.England had a sigh of relief when Graeme Swann scalped Laxman (42 balls, 4X4) who was out to a bat pad catch by Ian Bell.
Yuvraj, after reading the pitch for a while, continued with India’s plan of counter-attack and Tendulkar played a good foil keeping one end intact.