Associated Press

Mohali, March 10:

Sachin Tendulkar missed a world-record 35th Test hundred by six runs on Thursday, but his partnership with century-maker Virender Sehwag put India in command of the first Test match against Pakistan Sehwag’s 173 and Tendulkar’s 94 bolstered India to 447 for six on the third day, giving it a 135-run lead over Pakistan’s first innings score of 312. Sehwag and Tendulkar shared a 118-run partnership for the third wicket that subdued the attack as India built on Wednesday’s solid foundation when the home side made 184 for one. Sehwag, unbeaten on 95 at stumps on Wednesday, struck two sixes and 19 boundaries off 224 deliveries to post his ninth century in 32 Tests before hitting seamer Abdul Razzaq straight to Yousuf Youhana at mid-on. Sehwag’s score is the highest by an Indian batsman at Mohali’s Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, surpassing Rahul Dravid’s 144 against New Zealand in 1999-2000.

Sehwag also put on century partnerships for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir and Dravid. Tendulkar smashed 11 boundaries off 202 balls during his patient five-hour knock, before edging an outswinging delivery from seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to Asim Kamal in the gully, causing dismay to a capacity crowd of 35,000 that was bracing to greet the batsman’s new milestone. This was the sixth time in his career that Tendulkar has been dismissed in the 90s, leaving him 27 runs short of 10,000 runs in Tests. Before Tendulkar’s arrival, Sehwag completed his century and stretched his second-wicket stand with Dravid to 103. Dravid fell to a good catch by Kamal at point off paceman Mohammad Sami for 50. Dravid dispatched the ball to the fence seven times off 117 balls. This was Dravid’s 36th half-century in 87 Test matches. He has also scored 18 hundreds.

Sehwag batted patiently for the first 90 minutes before lofting seam bowler Razzaq for a six over long-off. Skipper Sourav Ganguly’s knock of 21 included a reprieve by Taufeeq Umar at point on an edged shot off Sami, two balls after Younis Khan took a catch at first slip only to see the umpire signal a no-ball. Dinesh Karthik fell cheaply for six, but VVS Laxman, batting on 33, and Irfan Pathan, on one, were together at stumps.