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Chasing
276 for victory, VVS Laxman (58 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh
Dhoni (0) were at the crease when India successfully completed the chase
to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, on the fourth day of the
match.
Off-spinner
R Ashwin, who took match haul of nine for 128, including six in the
second innings, also played a big role in India's triumph as he became
only the third player to win the man-of-the-match award on debut.
Starting
from his overnight score of 33, Tendulkar looked set to achieve the
incredible feat of scoring his 100th international century till Devendra
Bishoo spoilt his plan with a well-disguised googly, leaving over
10,000 spectators at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium stunned.
The
champion batsman faced 148 deliveries and spent 201 minutes, 93 of them
today, during his stay at the crease. His knock was studded with 10
sweetly-timed hits to the fence.
Resuming
at 152 for two and needing another 124 runs to win with eight wickets
in hand, India lost Rahul Dravid (31) early on the fourth day.
But
Tendulkar along with Laxman guided the hosts to 233 with a 71-run
partnership before disaster struck some time before the lunch break.
India
were just 43 runs away from achieving a hard-fought come-from-behind
victory and take a 1-0 lead, when Tendulkar made his way back to the
dressing room, much to the disappointment of the crowd.
But
Laxman stood firm to guide the Indians with yet another half-century in
the fourth innings of a match. He struck six boundaries and faced 105
balls.
This
was the second best chase on Indian soil, equalling the one by the West
Indies, incidentally at this very ground in 1987, when Vivian Richards
stroked his way to a century to guide his team to victory.
The highest remains the 387 for four India scored against England in Chennai in 2008-09.
Tendulkar,
who had completed 15,000 runs in this form of the game on Tuesday,
kick-started the day on a positive note as he tucked Darren Sammy to the
fine-leg boundary in the first over.
Fidel
Edwards, who had dismissed the iconic batsman in the first innings, was
not spared this time as Tendulkar drove, cut and flicked the bowler
with elan.
Edwards
gave the West Indies a glimmer of hope when he breached through the
defence of Rahul Dravid with the one that jagged in a long way on
landing, but Tendulkar was in his elements from the word go.
Slight
width from Sammy outside off stump, and Tendulkar was quick to slash
the West Indian skipper behind point, giving the third-man fielder no
chance of cutting it down.
VVS Laxman, meanwhile, was dealing in boundaries against Fidel Edwards, not sparing anything that strayed down the leg.
Laxman
was in such a mood that at one point of time it looked he would come in
the way of Tendulkar reaching the three-figure mark.
But, as fate would have it, Bishoo didn't let that happen, foxing the Mumbaikar with a googly.
But before that, Tendulkar looked in aggressive mood, giving special treatment to the likes of Ravi Rampaul and Darren Sammy.
After
he was done with Sammy, Tendulkar collected two boundaries one through
extra cover and another in front of deep square leg off Rampaul to take
India within sniffing distance of victory.
Yuvraj
played a rather casual stroke to be bowled by Sammy when the score was
tied, forcing captain Dhoni to complete the formaities alongwith Laxman.
Bowled
out for 209 in their first innings, India conceded a vital 95-run lead
to the visitors, but rode on man of the match off-spinner Ravichandran
Ashwin's six for 47 on debut to launch a strong comeback on Tuesday.
Swashbuckling
opener Virender Sehwag then provided the impetus to India's chase with a
typically aggressive 55 in as many balls to help the hosts finish the
third day in a strong position. (DD-9.11)
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