SYDNEY, Australia (AP):
SACHIN TENDULKAR rediscovered his imperious best with a career-high 220 not out and shared a 353-run stand with V.V.S. Laxman as India amassed a record 650 for five at stumps yesterday, batting Australia out of the series-deciding fourth Test.
It was the biggest total by a touring Test team against the hosts in Australia, improving on England's 636 in 1928-29. And it put Stephen Waugh -- playing in his international cricket finale -- in danger of being the first Australian skipper to lose a Test series at home in 11 years.
With the four-Test series locked at 1-1, India need only a draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy they won at home in 2001.
Tendulkar inspired the huge total with his first double hundred in Tests outside India. It was only the third of his 111-Test career and first Test century since his 176 against the West Indies in November, 2002.
Cricket's premier batsman stroked 30 boundaries and faced 419 deliveries in an innings that signalled a massive turnaround from 2003, when he struggled with hand problems and scored just 153 runs in five tests.
"It's very relieving, especially when you've not had a good series," said the 30-year-old Tendulkar, who now has 32 Test centuries. "It's not that I wasn't batting well, I was just missing out on one particular ball -- instead of getting beaten I was nicking it.
"I knew a big innings was around the corner and it was just a matter of hanging in there."
INDIAN RECORD
Tendulkar and Laxman (178) batted together for almost seven hours to take India's total from 194 for three to 547 for four, producing an Indian record for a fourth-wicket stand. It was the biggest partnership by a touring team in a Test on Australian soil and the best in Australia since Donald Bradman and Sid Barnes combined for 405 against England in 1947.
At stumps, Tendulkar was accompanied by Parthiv Patel (45) after an unbroken 80-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
India were on course to be the first foreign lineup to claim a Test series on Australian soil since the West Indies' 2-1 win in a five-match series in 1992-93.
Tendulkar's previous highest Test innings was 217 against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in October 1999, when he also combined with Sourav Ganguly to set the previous Indian record of 281 for the fourth wicket.
He resumed yesterday on 73, with Laxman on 29, in India's overnight total of 284 for three. The pair added 263 on the second day before Jason Gillespie bowled Laxman after Stuart MacGill's fielding blunders had given both batsmen late reprieves.
MacGill dropped a diving catch when Tendulkar, on 149, paddled a Nathan Bracken ball to mid-on.
He put down Laxman at mid-wicket with the total at 542, although the Indian No. 5 was bowled by a Gillespie offcutter in the same over.
Gillespie, who removed Virender Sehwag (72) and Rahul Dravid (38) on Friday, was the best of the Australian bowlers with 3-112 from 41 overs. Lee had 1-80 overnight and bowled Ganguly (16) as India slipped from 547 for three to 570 for five. Lee returned 2-169 from 36 overs.
Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said it was the toughest day of Test cricket he'd ever endured at home, with India piling on 366 runs for the loss of two wickets and keeping the hosts in the field for another three full sessions, but he hadn't given up.
"We never give up hope. While there's a competition still on, we're still a chance," he said.
Although Tendulkar promised no reprieve for the Aussies, saying India were unlikely to declare their innings closed overnight.
