Tendulkar reaches 14,000 Test runs milestone

Published : 8:38 am  October 11, 2010 |  No comments so far  |     |   (8)  |  

India’s Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to score 14,000 runs in Test cricket during the second Test against Australia in Bangalore.

The 37-year-old right-hander went into his 171st Test needing 27 runs.

He cut off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for four in the final session of the second day’s play to reach the milestone.

However India face a fight to win the Test after closing on 128-2, 350 runs behind Australia’s 478, with Marcus North hitting 128.

Tendulkar, named the International Cricket Council’s player of the year, finished the day unbeaten on 44 as the home side recovered from 38-2.

Virender Sehwag got the home side off to a bright start in their reply with 30 off 27 balls before he was caught by Mitchell Johnson at deep square leg off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus.

Johnson then accounted for Rahul Dravid for one, caught by North at third slip, which brought Tendulkar out to the middle, where he and Murali Vijay set about rebuilding India’s innings.

Earlier North, under pressure to retain his place in the Aussie line-up for the Ashes, notched up his fifth Test century which featured 17 fours and a six.

Alongside half-centuries from captain Ricky Ponting (77) and Tim Paine (59), it put Australia in a strong position to square the two-Test series after suffering a one-wicket defeat in the opening match in Mohali.

Spinner Harbhajan Singh proved to be India’s most effective attacking weapon as he snared North and then wrapped up the Australian innings when Peter George was stumped by Mahendra Dhoni, taking 4-148.