Tendulkar composes India chase
Sachin Tendulkar hit a determined half-century for India after England claimed another breakthrough as the opening Test headed towards a thrilling finale.
India's master batsman reached the milestone in mid-afternoon on the final day to help his side overcome the loss of VVS Laxman shortly after lunch as they chased a record victory target of 387.
Tendulkar's calm approach guided his side to 262 for four, still needing a further 125 runs to claim the fourth-highest successful run chase in Test history and the highest fourth innings total ever at the Chepauk Stadium.
He was brought to the crease in only the third over of the day with India, who resumed 256 runs away from victory on 131 for one, lost former captain Rahul Dravid to all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
Tendulkar was immediately given a testing introduction with Flintoff examining his technique with a number of short balls before he demonstrated his class by cutting the first of five boundaries in his half-century.
Opener Gautam Gambhir, who resumed overnight on 41, reached his half-century in the sixth over of the day with a clipped single off Graeme Swann after two and a half hours at the crease. Gambhir was fortunate to survive after being surprised by Flintoff bowling with just one arm, getting an inside edge to his front foot drive which just missed his leg stump and flew for four.
It took a bowling change, bringing James Anderson into the attack as a replacement for Lancashire team-mate Flintoff, to end Gambhir's threatening 42-run stand with Tendulkar. Hammered for 15 runs in just two overs the previous evening, this time Anderson provided greater control and finally tempted Gambhir into a loose shot outside off-stump which was superbly caught by a diving Paul Collingwood in the gully.
That brought VVS Laxman to the crease for the remaining nine overs of the session, which he survived comfortably, but played a loose shot fending off-spinner Swann onto the on-side and instead picked out Ian Bell at short leg.
England immediately increased their levels of aggression as soon as Yuvraj Singh arrived at the crease with captain Kevin Pietersen introducing main spearhead Steve Harmison to the attack for the first time in the 34th over of the day.
Harmison reacted by throwing the ball back aggressively at Yuvraj, who had not moved out of his crease. But Yuvraj remained firm and helped Tendulkar reach yet another half-century to leave the outcome of the Test still in the balance with half of the final day remaining.
