Another Tendulkar masterclass

Kevin Affleck

• Last Updated: November 21. 2009 4:01PM UAE / November 21. 2009 12:01PM GMT

Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, left, looks on as Sachin Tendulkar celebrates his century. Indranil Mukherjee / AFP

After bowling 60,000 balls in international cricket, the considerable powers of Muttiah Muralitharan may understandably be on the wane, but Sachin Tendulkar’s thirst for runs shows no signs of being quenched.

A match-saving century from Tendulkar, the 43rd of his astonishing career, yesterday ensured these two sides head to Green Park, Kanpur on Tuesday, for the second Test of this intriguing three-match series, all-square.

Tendulkar looked like a batsman starting out his international career – not one approaching his 37th birthday – in the way he sprinted to the other end to bring up his hundred, demonstrating the “Little Master” has the desire to continue his path to sporting immortality.

Muralitharan, on the other hand, looked betrayed by his ageing body.

Up until recently, he would have been expected to spin Sri Lanka to victory on a fifth-day pitch with the opposition battling to save the game, but he lacked any sparkle throughout this Test.

His second-innings figures of no wickets for 124 runs was the first time in 12 years he had conceded 100 runs without taking a wicket.

In mitigation, this was a benign pitch that served up 1,598 runs – just 12 short of the record for a Test match in Asia – but it would be a surprise if Muralitharan manages to extend his Test career beyond this series.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir, at the age of 28, still has his best years ahead of him and he stroked his third century in as many matches to, along with Tendulkar, help India to 412 for four when the match ended early.

It was hugely out of character when Gambhir played the type of rash shot normally reserved for his dashing opener partner Virender Sehwag, six overs into the afternoon session to gift Rangana Herath a wicket.

VVS Laxman, who was out for a duck in the first innings, was unbeaten on 51, adding an unbroken 137 for the fifth wicket, when Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, accepted his side’s chance of victory had evaporated shortly after tea.

“We are a disappointed but there are a lot of positives to take from this,” said Sangakkara.

“India showed a lot of fight to save the Test match. We just needed something to go our way.”

Sangakkara’s predecessor, Mahela Jayawardene, was named man of the match after his double hundred in the first innings.

MS Dhoni, the India captain, said: “We had to handle our nerves and the wicket and I’m really happy with the batsman. I think our [bowling] lines could be more disciplined but overall I’m quite happy.”

kaffleck@thenational.ae