Australia plan to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar “again” after the little master was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal on day two of the first Test in Chennai.
Tendulkar will resume on Sunday’s third day of play on 71 after leading his side to 3-182 in reply to Australia’s first innings of 380.
The 39-year-old Tendulkar – the game’s leading run-scorer – is closing in on his first Test hundred in more than two years.
Virat Kohli (50 not out) has shared a 77-run partnership with Tendulkar.
Tendulkar had a lucky break on 37 when a close lbw appeal from spinner Nathan Lyon’s bowling was turned down after the right-hander played no shot.
Lyon (0-55 off 14 overs) posed few problems for India’s middle-order batsmen while paceman James Pattinson led Australia’s attack with 3-25 from six overs.
“It’s quite disappointing but good teams bounce back and get him (Tendulkar) out again, so to speak,” Pattinson said of the lbw appeal.
Pattinson took the new ball and reached the 150 km/h mark in his first Test appearance since suffering a side injury in November.
He said he made an error by not attacking Tendulkar with short-pitched bowling.
“My plan early on to Sachin was to try and bounce him and we changed it at the last minute so that was probably a bit of a mistake,” he said.
“We probably should have gone to the first plan and been aggressive to him. He looked like he had a lot of time out there, compared to the other batters.
“It’s quite a daunting task bowling to someone of his capability and he showed his class today.
“I just love the challenge really of coming in to bowl to people like Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar, who I’ve grown up as a little tacker watching on TV.”
The 22-year-old Pattinson removed openers Murali Vijay (10) and Sehwag (two) who both played the ball onto their stumps.
Cheteshwar Pujara (44) and Tendulkar shared a third-wicket partnership of 93 before Pattinson hit the stumps for the third time, bowling Pujara with an off-cutter which kept low.
Pattinson said the wearing red-clay pitch was offering reverse swing and the tourists were confident of getting early wickets on day three.
Australia had resumed on 7-316 and were bowled out for 380 on Saturday after Michael Clarke had advanced from his overnight score of 103 to 130.
Clarke had a lucky escape on 39 on Friday when a bat-pad chance from the bowling of offspinner Ravi Ashwin (7-103) was turned down by Sri Lanka umpire Kumar Dharmasena.
