Centurion Sachin puts India in command
Nagpur - Sachin Tendulkar became the third most prolific century-maker in test history on Saturday as India tightened their grip on the first test against Zimbabwe on day three.
Tendulkar stroked his 28th test century to remain unbeaten on 137 at the close, lifting India to an imposing 437 for five in reply to Zimbabwe's first innings of 287.
India will go into the fourth day 150 runs ahead with all-rounder Sanjay Bangar (22 not out) partnering Tendulkar on a pitch already beginning to deteriorate.
Left-arm spinner Raymond Price waged a lonely battle in a flagging Zimbabwe attack, claiming the wickets of India captain Saurav Ganguly (38) and Vangipurappu Laxman (13) to finish the day with figures of four for 130.
The 25-year-old bowled a marathon final spell of 23-7-41-2 on a hot and humid day and twice came close to removing Tendulkar.
Zimbabwe suffered a setback in the final session when seamer Travis Friend was prevented from bowling for the rest of the innings by umpire Srinivas Venkatraghavan after sending down a second beamer.
Friend had been cautioned for aiming a high full-toss at opener Shiv Sundar Das on the second day and then bowling a similar delivery to Tendulkar on Saturday.
The 28-year-old Tendulkar dominated day three with strokes all round the wicket as India set their sights on a huge match-winning total.
He played with typical aggression in the afternoon and flicked Friend for two runs to square-leg to reach his century shortly before tea, which India reached on 363 for four.
India's master batsman, playing his 90th test, is now only headed by compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's world record of 34 hundreds and Australian legend Don Bradman's tally of 29.
His third test century against Zimbabwe moved him past two Australians - current skipper Steve Waugh and former captain Allan Border - who have both amassed 27 centuries in tests.
Tendulkar has struck 18 fours in 275-ball innings which has lasted just over six hours.
Spinner Price was largely responsible for ensuring India scored only 228 runs on the third day.
Maintaining a tight line and extracting both turn and bounce, he removed the left-handed Ganguly who holed out to long-on where Grant Flower took a running catch.
Ganguly, struggling for his test batting form, had come into the game after managing only 68 runs in four test innings during the recent home series against England.
He hit seven fours in his 99-ball innings and is yet to score a century in his 15 tests as captain.
A defensive Vangipurappu Laxman, looking for his first test hundred since making an Indian individual record of 281 against Australia early last year, also failed to last long when he tamely edged Price to silly point.
After opener Shiv Sundar Das struck 102 to take the limelight on the second day, Tendulkar took over on day three.
He dominated a tiring Zimbabwe attack on a flat pitch to put on 97 runs for the fourth wicket with Ganguly after Rahul Dravid was dismissed for 57 - the one wicket to fall before lunch.
Tendulkar took 17 deliveries to get off the mark in the morning after India resumed at 209 for two, but soon found his rhythm and played a wide range of shots all round the wicket.
Tendulkar inside-edged paceman Heath Streak just past the stumps for four on 76 but he then cruised into overdrive with a straight four later in the over before completing his hundred to huge cheers from a large crowd. - Reuters