Tendulkar completes 50th Test ton

Tendulkar completes 50th Test ton

Sachin Tendulkar became the first player
 in Test history to score 50 centuries as India
 frustrated South Africa in Centurion
 © AFP

Sachin Tendulkar creates history by becoming first cricketer to score 50 Test centuries. Sachin in partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni has reduced India's deficit to 38 runs on the fourth day of the first cricket Test against South Africa.
India score is 446-6 at the time of reporting.
Tendulkar, who came in at the fall of nightwatchman Ishant Sharma at 214 for three in the morning session stood rock solid while Dhoni was even more aggressive than his senior partner at one stage.

Dhoni gave Dale Steyn some special treatment by hitting the South African strike bowler for a flurry of fours, that too after the home side had taken the new ball.

South Africa took the new ball after 2.1 overs in the post-lunch session but Tendulkar and Dhoni were undeterred as they punished Morne Morkel with three fours in the same over -- two of them coming from the Indian captain's blade.

Tendulkar raised his fifty, his 60th in Test cricket, with a cracking four off Steyn, a slap through extra cover. He had faced 94 balls for his fifty.

Dhoni also punished Steyn for a four in the same over and then hit three boundaries off Jacques Kallis as he raced to his 20th Test fifty in quick time, from just 41 balls with the help of nine fours.

Surprisingly, the Indian duo did not take much chance against left-arm spinner Paul Harris who was hit for just a four -- by Dhoni.

Earlier, India lost the wickets Rahul Dravid (43), VVS Laxman (8) and Suresh Raina (5) and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (23) in the morning session and trailed by 207 runs as they reached 277 for six at lunch.

Resuming at 190 for two, the visitors added just 87 runs from the 33.4 overs they faced in the morning session which started half an hour before scheduled time to compensate for loss of time on the first day.