Tendulkar ton as India build healthy lead

Sachin Tendulkar scored a masterly 160, his 42 Test hundred, as India took a healthy 241-run first innings lead on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton on Friday.
Resuming at their overnight 278 for four, in reply to New Zealand's 279, the Indian innings folded at 520, when tea was called.
Thanks to an industrious 115-run sixth-wicket partnership between Tendulkar and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (47), and a quick-fire unbeaten 51 not out by Zaheer Khan , India established a sizeable lead.
The visitors have reached a position from where they can entertain hopes of winning their first Test in New Zealand since 1976.
Tendulkar was on top of his game, beginning the day with an exquisite cover drive off Chris Martin that set the tempo for the rest of the first session. The little genius was in an aggressive mode as boundaries oozed out of his willow. A backfoot cover drive off Martin bore the class. An elegant whip of the pads and a back cut off Lain O'Brien were followed by a brace of boundaries -- an on-drive and a square drive -- off Jesse Ryder .
The Kiwis merely watched in awe as the master batsman moved into top gear, working the ball delightfully off the square.
The 35-year-old run-machine, who notched his third hundred in four Tests since the 109 at Nagpur last November, pulled farther away from Ricky Ponting's 37 hundreds from 129 Tests.
Having recorded his 19th score over 150, Tendulkar eventually fell to a short ball from a bumper-happy Iain O'Brien, Ross Taylor pouching the lobbed cherry at first slip.
Fast bowler Zaheer then took India past 500-run mark with his 46-ball cameo. He cashed on a dropped chance to notch up his third Test fifty, which was studded with eight fours. He and last-man out Munaf Patel (9) put up 28 runs for the 10th wicket.
Earlier in the day, India lost Yuvraj Singh in dramatic fashion. Venturing to shoulder arms to a break-back from Martin, the left-hander sheepishly had his off-peg rattled. He made 22 before starting his walk back to the hut.

source:rediff.com