Tendulkar 98 keeps game even

Tendulkar first started giving Australians nightmares in 1990-91 and almost 20 years later spent much of the third day introducing himself to some new wearers of baggy greens. At his best Tendulkar has buried Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, so in reality facing Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Hauritz was a pretty comfortable assignment. He still made it a thing of beauty at times, particularly with his effortless pushes through cover and his range of sweeps.

Tendulkar now has 10 hundreds and 12 half-centuries in 30 Tests against Australia while averaging almost 57. Bollinger and Hilfenhaus had not bowled to him before in a Test, and Hauritz had run into him only once, getting him in Mumbai on debut in 2004.

Hilfenhaus watched Tendulkar caress a handful of memorable cover-drives throughout the display and the batsman started the middle session with a clever late cut against the same bowler. Another cover-drive, this time to Bollinger, was special enough for Tendulkar to punch gloves with Dravid, and then it was Hauritz's turn to gape. A sweep from outside off went to square leg for four and Hauritz's next ball was even wider, but it travelled to the rope at midwicket.

Tendulkar was rarely rushed - a couple of thick edges fell short of the slips off Johnson - and after tea he allowed Raina to aim the bigger shots, although he charged Marcus North and hit over mid-off to go into the 90s. He was two short of his 49th century when he pushed across the line at a quicker ball from North and was lbw, walking off in a silent stadium. North could hardly believe his success in his first Test bowl against Tendulkar.