Tendulkar and Gambhir salvage draw

Sachin Tendulkar closes in on his 43rd Test century, which ensured a draw

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Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir scored centuries as India played their way to a battling draw in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad.

Trailing by 334 runs on first innings after Sri Lanka posted 760 for seven declared, and needing to bat out close to five sessions to save the match, India responded with an impressive display.

Gambhir led the resistance with a gritty 114, his seventh Test century, while Tendulkar hit an unbeaten 100 and VVS Laxman 51 not out as India finished the day on 412 for four, ensuring they would go into the second Test in Kanpur on level terms.

Gambhir, 74 at the start of the final day, resumed India’s battle for survival in the company of nightwatchman Amit Mishra.

Sri Lanka, in a dominant position at the start of the day with India still 144 runs behind, could have secured an early breakthrough had Tillakaratne Dilshan grasped a sharp chance offered by Mishra.

Dilshan, at second slip, grassed the edge and Mishra went on to frustrate the visitors for close to an hour until Dilshan made amends for the earlier lapse with a spectacular reflex catch, low to his right, at leg gully to remove the batsman for 24.

Tendulkar was off the mark immediately and drove Muttiah Muralitharan through extra-cover for two boundaries in an over early in his innings.

He then settled to hold up one end as India steadily erased the deficit.

Gambhir, tentative at the start of the day, needed the better part of the first session to accumulate the 26 runs needed for his century.

He clubbed left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for two fours and reached three figures with a leg-glance for four off Angelo Mathews.

Gambhir, who added 66 for the fourth wicket with Tendulkar, perished to a poor stroke six overs into the afternoon session, providing Kumar Sangakkara’s side with a glimmer of hope.

Opener Gautam Gambhir goes to three figures with a four off Angelo Mathews

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The left-hander skipped down the track to hoist Herath over the top, miscued and presented Dammika Prasad with a simple catch at mid-off.

India were still 59 behind at that stage, but Laxman joined Tendulkar and the pair denied Sri Lanka further inroads.

Tendulkar reached his half-century with a clip to fine-leg off Herath which yielded two and India soon wiped out the deficit and surged ahead.

Laxman, who made a duck in the first innings, provided fine support to Tendulkar and raised his half-century in the final session by steering Mathews to third man.

With only 16 overs remaining, a Tendulkar century was all there was left to play for.

A scrambled single with the field up helped the ‘Little Master’ reach his 43rd Test century and play was called off immediately afterwards, the fifth-wicket pair having added 137.