Tendulkar reaches milestone to boost India

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India’s Sachin Tendulkar became  the first batsman to pass 15,000 test runs as the hosts moved  within 124 runs of victory against West Indies despite losing  both openers on the third day of the first test in front of a  sparse crowd today.
Tendulkar, who took off his helmet, raised his bat and  looked to the heavens after reaching the milestone in the final  session, was batting on 33 with Rahul Dravid (30) also digging  in his heels to leave India on 152 for two at the close.
India are chasing 276 to win the bowler-dominated test at  Feroz Shah Kotla which is set to yield a result on day four with  38-year-old Tendulkar one century short of a record 100 tons.
Debutant off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (6-47) had earlier  helped dismantle West Indies for 180 in their second innings.
India’s chase got off to a breezy start with free-scoring  openers Virender Sehwag (55) and Gautam Gambhir (22) taking them  past the 50-mark before Marlon Samuels broke the  dangerous-looking stand.
Gambhir was beaten by Samuels’ flighted delivery that hit  his pad and umpire Rod Tucker declared him leg before.
Sehwag appeared determined to make the most of the life he  got when Ravi Rampaul dropped a return catch and the  right-hander hit Samuels and Devendra Bishoo for six to race to  his second half-century of the match.
However, Sehwag got carried away and dragged a Darren Sammy  delivery onto his stumps to depart after a run-a-ball knock.

PATIENT APPROACH
Tendulkar walked out to join Dravid in the middle and the  senior batsmen, with more than 56,700 international runs between  them, adopted a patient approach to see through the rest of the  day.
Earlier, resuming on 21 for two, West Indies lost wickets at  regular intervals as India made the most of foggy morning  conditions.
Ishant Sharma, who had been overshadowed by the spinners,  bowled with fire and removed Fidel Edwards for one.
The lanky pacer nearly dismissed Darren Bravo (12) in the  same over but Ashwin dropped the catch at extra cover.
Fellow quick Umesh Yadav claimed his maiden test wicket when  he uprooted Kirk Edwards’ (33) off-stump after the batsman  offered no shot.
Ashwin more than made up for his fielding lapse with a  double-wicket maiden over, trapping Bravo leg before and then  pegging back scoreless Marlon Samuels’ off-stump to reduce West  Indies to 63 for six wickets.
Yadav removed Carlton Baugh (seven) for his second wicket of  the match before Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) put his foot down  to frustrate the Indians in the company of the tailenders.