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Virender Sehwag broke the shackles of poor form with the bat to notch his seventh Test century on the second day of the second cricket Test against Australia at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Friday.
The dashing opener, who hit a record-breaking 309 in Multan, Pakistan, earlier this year, scored a brilliant 155 which enabled India end the day on 291 for the loss of six wickets, a first innings lead of 56 runs.
Mohammad Kaif, 34, and Parthiv Patel, 27, were unbeaten at stumps after a partnership of 58 runs.
Earlier in the day, Australia's Shane Warne claimed the world record for most Test wickets with his 533rd victim.
The 35-year-old leg spinner dismissed Irfan Pathan in the morning session to surpass Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's mark
Morning session:
India's start was slow, the first seven overs yielded only six runs, but it was also what the team needed. Sehwag hogged the strike, keeping Pathan away from Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, who opened the bowling attack on day 2.
The two pacemen were taken out of the attack in the ninth over after a fruitless first spell, and Warne and Michael Kasprowicz were introduced. The move also turned everyone's attention to the much-awaited duel between the Indian batsmen and Warne.
Sehwag is one of the hardest hitters of the ball in world cricket and Pathan's success against Warne in the first Test would have undoubtedly given the Aussie leg-spinner a lot of confidence. But the Indian spinners had taken nine wickets and Warne too must have fancied his chances.
But Warne's spell lasted just two overs, one of which was a maiden. The other over saw Pathan, with only his second scoring shot, smack a huge six over mid-wicket.
McGrath came back into the attack, got hit for two fours by Sehwag, bowled a wide and was promptly taken out of the attack after the drinks break. This over was the signal, as it was many times in Australia, that Sehwag was now ready to open up.
At the end of the first hour of play, India were 58 for 1 after 14 overs.
The first ball after the break was brutally slog-swept by Sehwag for four. Warne responded with a delivery that turned, beat Sehwag's bat but also pierced the gap between slip and wicketkeeper. Three byes were conceded.
That was to be the pattern of the morning session; the Indian batsmen would attack and Warne would stage a comeback. It was engrossing and thrilling. Test cricket when played like this makes ODI cricket look like a poorer cousin.
Then, at exactly 1108 hrs IST, it finally happened. Warne bagged his 533rd wicket to claim the world record for most wickets in Test cricket. Those wickets came in 114 matches at an average of 25.59. The man to be dismissed was Pathan, caught at slip by Matthew Hayden, after scoring 14 off 63 balls, with one four and one six. (83 for 2)
The Chennai crowd gave the leg-spinner a standing ovation then and again at the end of the over. The celebrations were subdued; a few pats on the back from his teammates and then it was back to business; there was a match to be saved.
Pathan had put on 55 runs off 19.4 overs with Sehwag and survived the first hour. It was now up to the other Indian batsmen to show their true class.
Rahul Dravid walked in to join Sehwag. Now was the crucial part of the day; if Australia could get another wicket relatively quickly then they could hope to restrict India.
But Dravid and Sehwag stood firm, and at lunch India were 101 for 2. In the 26 over session, India had scored 73 runs for the loss of one wicket.
Sehwag was on 61 and Dravid on 12, inclusive of two boundaries off Warne in the last over before lunch.
Post-lunch session
An edge off Gillespie through the vacant slip area commenced proceedings after lunch and also took Sehwag to 65, his highest score at Chepauk. After successfully negotiating the morning session, the Indians were looking to drive home the advantage.
The newly-crowned world record holder for most Test wickets was not getting much respect from the Indians. Sehwag, in particular, seemed determined to make up for lost time.
Aussie skipper Adam Gilchrist persisted with a seamer from one end to back Warne. Kasprowicz, Gillespie and McGrath were all given a go, but runs continued to flow unabated.
Sehwag's smile was back, which usually means the fielding side is due for a lot of chasing. The Indian opener soon reached his seventh century in Tests and his second against the Aussies, following his 195 at Melbourne in the Boxing Day Test in 2003. India's score at this stage was 160 for 2.
Sehwag scored 100 off 147 balls. He took 91 balls to reach his first fifty, while his second came off just 58 balls.
India were in command; the runs kept coming at a good rate. The Aussies were tiring and Sehwag was starting to take the attack to pieces.
But just then a lapse in concentration saw Dravid (26) edge the ball onto his stumps. It was good bowling from Kasprowicz, who got the ball to cut in after pitching. Dravid put on 95 runs with Sehwag for the third wicket. (178 for 3)
India could have been another wicket down in the same over when Simon Katich caught Sourav Ganguly at third slip, but, much to Kasprowicz's dismay, the umpire called it a no-ball. Ganguly survived.
Sehwag continued to play some breathtaking shots. He used his feet to Darren Lehmann with élan, but then also proceeded to hit a few senseless strokes. It was typical of the way he plays his cricket: take a few risks and hope they come off. But his application in the morning session was exemplary.
Ganguly was immediately down by Sehwag's side, asking him to keep his head. Ganguly, himself, edged a few through the slip cordon, which was bolstered to three after he arrived at the wicket.
At tea, India were 197 for the loss of three wickets. Sehwag was on 133 and Ganguly on an edgy 4.
Post tea session
Having lost just one wicket in each of the earlier sessions, India now had the opportunity to press home the advantage. Sehwag was going great guns, but the trick for the Indians was for him to stay at the wicket; simply because with him there runs could come at a good rate and Australia would be forced to set defensive fields.
The mind goes back to Sehwag's first Test in South Africa and the way Sachin Tendulkar guided him through the rough patches. Ganguly was trying to do that, but he himself was struggling outside the off-stump as well.
A boundary off Gillespie saw Ganguly bring up India's 200 in 67.3 overs, but the Indian skipper, 9, was dismissed off the very next ball. He hung his bat outside the off-stump and edged the ball straight to Gilcrist behind the stumps. (203 for 4)
Australia were similarly placed at 191 for 4 in the first innings and India had to guard against complacency to ensure they did not suffer the fate that befell the Aussies.
V V S Laxman walked in next and Gilchrist immediately introduced Warne back into the attack. The leg-spinner had claimed Laxman's prized wicket in both innings of the Bangalore Test and, undoubtedly, felt he held a psychological edge.
But Warne was not required to do anything as Gillespie clean bowled Laxman (4). The ball kept low and Laxman, who was on the back foot, reacted too late. (213 for 5)
Gillespie was bowling very well and Warne kept it tight from the other end. Only Sehwag stood between Australia and a possible chance to sneak back into the Test. Gillespie's fourth spell, 4-0-12-2, of the innings did all the damage.
The batsmen who succeeded on this wicket were the ones who trusted their eyes and went for their shots. Sehwag, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden all scored runs in this manner.
A 150-run lead will make sure India holds the advantage in the second innings. But for that, Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif had to stay at the wicket.
Kaif was dropped by Hayden in the slips off Warne after he scored just one. India's score at that stage was 216.
But this innings was all about Sehwag. When the Indian opener is on song, the conditions, the attack, are just part of an equation that doesn't matter. All that matters is whether the ball is in the slot to be hit.
'See ball, hit ball' is the motto that Sehwag lives by; today it worked perfectly. While it lasted, it was amazing. It defied logic. While the rest of the batsmen struggled, Sehwag seemed to be having a net but, then again, virtually nothing Sehwag does can be explained. So was his dismissal.
India were trailing by just two runs and most batsmen would have looked to safely knock two singles off and get the scores level. But Sehwag looked for a boundary. A short ball from Warne presented him with the opportunity. The ball, however, bounced more than expected and the right-hander's attempted pull looped to mid-wicket, where Clarke ran in from the boundary to take a good catch.
Sehwag was gone for 155, scored off 221 balls, inclusive of 21 boundaries, with the total 233 for 6. He had scored 65 per cent of India's runs.
It was not even 1530 hrs in the afternoon and the skies were already dark because of heavy cloud cover. Would the weather also play a part in this amazing Test?
India's hopes lay with Kaif and Parthiv Patel. It was still possible to bat on this wicket and India badly needed a sizeable lead as batting last would be very tough.
The new ball was taken after 88 overs and it seemed to ease matters for the batsmen. To their credit, Kaif and Patel bated without any pressure.
Warne gave Patel a life on 20 when he dropped the left-hander off Gillespie with the Indian total 277. The Aussies were sloppy in the field, having dropped Yuvraj Singh, Kaif and Ganguly once and Sehwag twice.
At close of play on Day 2, India had reached 291 for the loss of six wickets, a lead of 56 runs.
