Tendulkar scores 38th century

Tendulkar ton guides India past 400

India 8 for 500 (Tendulkar 145*, RP Singh 13*) lead Australia 463 by 37 runs
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How they were out

Sachin Tendulkar made his 38th Test century and India took the lead on Australia's total on the third day in Sydney

	After several nineties in 2007, Sachin Tendulkar got a century at the earliest opportunity in 2008 © Getty Images

The century that eluded Sachin Tendulkar repeatedly in 2007 came at the earliest possible opportunity in 2008 as he helped India negotiate a post-lunch wobble and reduce the deficit to just 39 runs in the company of a feisty Harbhajan Singh. Australia sniffed a chance of gaining a sizeable lead when they snapped up two quick wickets immediately after the lunch break, but Tendulkar then took over.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni let Australia get a foot in the door, trying to play a forcing shot off the back foot against Brett Lee and only managing a catch to Adam Gilchrist. When Anil Kumble, usually good for some stodgy resistance, fell to the same combination soon after, with India still trailing by 118, they were in serious trouble.

But Tendulkar deftly shifted gears, sensing that it was important that runs came quickly and was helped along by an adventurous Harbhajan. While Harbhajan's hitting, unorthodox and improvised, over the slips cordon and through the on-side, was a major bonus for India, it was Tendulkar who made the big difference.

Up until the lunch break Tendulkar had played a battling innings, getting to a half-century but not really attacking the Australian bowling. After lunch, with quick wickets falling, Tendulkar signalled his intentions with an upper-cut four into the vacant third-man region.

From there on the strokes were a treat to watch, and this Sydney crowd, perhaps watching Tendulkar play his last Test at the venue, applauded warmly even as Australia's bowlers were denied results. When he drove Stuart Clark through cover off the back foot and ran the brace that took him to three figures, there was no wild celebration for Tendulkar, rather an understated taking off of the helmet and acknowledgement of the crowd's cheers.

While Tendulkar's hundred provided the backbone, Harbhajan's unbeaten 41 proved invaluable as the two put on an unbeaten 79 runs going into the tea break. India were in with a good chance of wiping out the Australian lead, but it was not always that way.

The first session of the third day was hard work for India's batsmen. Ganguly continued his recent good run with some gorgeous strokes through the off side. The timing was impeccable and he started the day with a couple of caressed boundaries off Lee. He used his feet well to the spinners and made his own length by going either back or forward.

He heaved Brad Hogg over mid-on, lofted Michael Clarke over the straight boundary and cut when the spinners corrected the length. It was a soft dismissal at the end, as he fell trying to clear mid-off with Hogg getting a crucial wicket once more. The disappointment on missing out on a century was evident as he smashed his bat in the ground before walking off.

Meanwhile, Tendulkar was circumspect. He chose to defend against the seamers, taking care not to push outside the off stump and concentrated on staying out there in the middle. It was not a completely monk-like effort like 2004 as he played a few forcing strokes against the spinners. He swept and lofted Hogg and cut Clarke but it was clear that it was a day where he was going to embrace caution over bravado. Clarke troubled him on a couple of occasions with his floaters - Tendulkar survived a confident shout for lbw - but he battled on.

The momentum changed completely with Ganguly's fall. Yuvraj Singh never looked in. Never a confident starter against spin, he struggled against Hogg. He failed to pick the turn, lunged forward uncertainly and was hurried on by the occasional flipper. And the struggles continued when Lee returned with the second new ball. Lee tucked him up with well-directed short ones at his ribs before trapping him with a full one that held its line.