Tendulkar eyes 100th ton as India defy England

LONDON: Sachin Tendulkar made his highest score of the series and closed in on an unprecedented 100th international hundred as India fought hard to deny England a 4-0 whitewash on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval here on Monday.

India, following-on, didn't lose a wicket in the whole of Monday's first session and at lunch on the fifth day they were 216 for three -- just 75 runs short of making England bat again.

Tendulkar was 72 not out, having faced 142 balls with nine fours, and nightwatchman Amit Mishra a Test-best 57 not out.

India, whose fourth-wicket duo had so far put on 98, now had some hope of holding out for a draw under blue skies and on a still-good pitch in ideal sunny batting conditions.

However, Tendulkar should have been out for 70 when he inside-edged off-spinner Graeme Swann onto his pad only for Alastair Cook to drop the sharp chance at short leg.

India resumed Monday on 129 for three, still 162 runs adrift of England's first innings 591 for six declared that featured Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.

England, who'd replaced India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table with an innings and 242 run victory at Edgbaston last time out, needed seven more wickets to complete a first 4-0 whitewash since a home rout of the West Indies seven years ago.

Tendulkar was 25 not out and Mishra eight not out.

Mishra, who made 43 in an India first innings where Rahul Dravid's 146 not out accounted for nearly half a total of 300, took the attack to England.

He overcame an early blow on the thigh from James Anderson to sweep Swann for four as England's bowlers, in front of a sell-out crowd, struggled.

England captain Andrew Strauss brought on medium-pacer Ravi Bopara in a bid to break the stand.

But Tendulkar, whose previous best score this series was 56 in the second Test at Trent Bridge, cover-drove and late cut Bopara for two fours.

It all left England regretting a bizarre incident on Sunday when wicketkeeper Matt Prior failed to appeal for a stumping against Tendulkar when the 'Little Master' had made just 34.

Shortly before lunch, Mishra completed his second Test half-century, following exactly 50 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last year, when he guided Tim Bresnan for two to third man to reach the landmark in 103 balls with six fours.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011