Sachin Tendulkar continued India’s fight to record a history-defying win after England dealt two quick blows in the first Test here on Monday.
The hosts went to lunch on the fifth and final day at 213-3 after being set 387 to win by England captain Kevin Pietersen, a target never achieved before on Indian soil.
Tendulkar was unbeaten on a fluent 27 and Venkatsai Laxman was on 20 with India needing 174 more and England seeking seven wickets in the remaining two sessions to take the lead in the two-match series.
The pair have so far put on 30 for the fourth wicket, with Tendulkar showing the form that made him Test cricket’s leading scorer in the previous home series against world champions Australia.
Tendulkar has so far hit three fours, including an audacious cut to the third man fence off James Anderson, while Laxman has four boundaries.
The highest fourth innings total to win a match in India is 276-5 by the West Indies at New Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla ground in the 1987-88 season.
India’s victory hopes had been revived by flamboyant opener Virender Sehwag on Sunday evening when he smashed 83 off 68 balls with 11 fours and four sixes to leave the hosts 131-1 at the close.
India suffered a blow in the third over Monday when Andrew Flintoff had the struggling Rahul Dravid caught behind by wicket-keeper Matt Prior for four.
Dravid, a veteran of 130 Tests with 10 373 runs behind him at an average of 52,12, may find the selectors lose patience with him after managing just 32 runs in his past four Tests.
In 14 Tests this year, the 35-year-old former captain has scored 669 runs at 27,87 with a highest of 111 against South Africa at the Chinnaswamy stadium in March.
Gautam Gambhir, who shared a century stand with Sehwag, put on 42 for the third wicket with Tendulkar as the Indians attempted to overcome the early loss of Dravid.
The left-hander moved to 66, his eighth Test half-century, when he flirted with a wide ball from Anderson and gave Paul Collingwood a low catch at gully.
The second and final Test starts in the northern town of Mohali on Friday. – AFP
