Tendulkar, Vijay lead Team India’s recovery against Australia

BANGALORE - Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Murali Vijay shared a 90-run partnership to help the team recover from a wobbly third session to reach 128 for two on the second day of the Bangalore Test against Australia on Sunday.

Team India lost opening batsman Virender Sehwag (30 from 28 balls) and Rahul Dravid (one), and appeared to have wasted the perfect batting conditions at M. Chinnaswamy stadium to be reeling at 38 for two.

However, Tendulkar and Vijay played showing class and managed to 90 runs in 24.2 overs to lead the fightback.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 44 and Vijay 42 not out when bad light stopped play for the day.

During the innings, Tendulkar also became the first batsman to score 14,000 runs in Test cricket.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh (4-148) and Pragyan Ojha (3-120) had restricted Australia to 478 in their first innings.

The visitors had reached 384 for five at lunch, but lost five wickets in the second session before scoring 94 runs from 31 overs.

Australian left-handed batsman Marcus North scored a career-best 128 and shared a 149-run sixth-wicket stand with Tim Paine (59) to consolidate Australia’s position in the Test match.

India leads the two match Test series 1-0, after winning the first match played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali by one wicket. (ANI)