Sachin slams record 35th ton

NDTV-Cricket!: "Sachin Tendulkar has created history by scoring the highest number of Test centuries with his 35th ton against Sri Lanka on the first day of the second Test in New Delhi.

With this century, Sachin has surpassed Sunil Gavaskar's earlier world record of the most number of Test centuries – 34.

His 34th hundred had come a year ago against Bangladesh. Tendulkar (100) with Sourav Ganguly (39) powered India to 245 for 3 at close on the first day of the Test.

It was also Tendulkar's 125th Test appearance, again matching Gavaskar and the second highest for an Indian. Only Kapil Dev had played in more Tests, 131.

Tendulkar's innings helped India seize the initiative after skipper Rahul Dravid, suffering from illness, made a bold decision to open the innings in the absence of Virender Sehwag who was down with a throat infection.

Tendulkar reached his century with a single off Chaminda Vaas delivery.

His three-figure mark came from 177 balls after 277 minutes at the crease, and contained 13 fours and a six.

Tendulkar was somewhat circumspect in the initial phase of his innings and had to endure a testing spell of reverse swing bowling by Fernando.

There were a couple of loud shouts for leg before against Tendulkar and he was hit on the chest when the Little Master tried to duck a short-pitched stuff that kept low.

But he middled the ball well from the outset. He employed the paddle sweep to the spinners, a shot that he had buried deep into the kit bag for long. Later, when the pitch dried out and batting became more relaxed in the afternoon, he began to play his strokes.

He notched up his half century with a nudge to squareleg off Muralitharan and then proceeded to strike three consecutive fours off the offie.

He took a volley from around the wicket on the rise and placed it between mid off and cover, then glided the next one to third man before driving the following one on the backfoot through the cover.

Behind the composed batting was a burning intensity which was in display when he showed his disapproval when Ganguly turned down a third run.

A six-over long on off Bandara saw Tendulkar move into the 80s. A leg glance off Vaas saw him move from 93 to 97, and after an outside edge off Fernando fell short of the first slip, Tendulkar reached the milestone in the next over and threw up his arms and head in elation."