BANGALORE, Oct 13: Sachin Tendulkar scored a match-saving 49 to help India avert defeat in the first Test against Australia on Monday but fell short of a world record.

India were set a victory target of 299 runs in 83 overs but finished with 177-4 before bad light forced the match to be abandoned as a draw after tea on the fifth day at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Tendulkar was caught in the covers off debutant spinner Cameron White just 15 short of surpassing retired West Indian Brian Lara’s tally of 11,953 runs as Test cricket’s leading run-getter.

Even as he neared the record, the 35-year-old vehemently protested to the umpires about allowing play to continue in fading light and walked away in disgust after becoming White’s first Test victim.

Umpires Rudi Koertzen of South Africa and Asad Rauf of Pakistan suspended play six overs after Tendulkar’s dismissal, only to return 40 minutes later when the light improved marginally.

Tendulkar ended the game with a career tally of 11,939 runs and is expected to overtake Lara when the second of four Tests opens in Mohali on Friday.

Tendulkar, who walked in to bat with India struggling at 24-2 before lunch, put on 53 for the third wicket with Gautam Gambhir and 61 for the fourth with Vangipurappu Laxman.

Some 15,000 home fans cheered every run by the 151-Test veteran, who defied the Australians for three hours to take India to safety.

Laxman (42 not out) and Saurav Ganguly (26 not out) saw out the remaining session, which was marked by frequent interruptions for poor light before the match was called off with 10 overs remaining.

Indian left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, who took five wickets in the first innings and top-scored with 57 batting at No 9, was named the Man-of-the-Match.

Zaheer Khan taunted Australia’s bowlers for being unable to dismiss India on the final day of the first cricket Test. “They know they can’t take 20 wickets and they are on the back foot,” Zaheer said. “They couldn’t get me or Bhajji [Harbhajan Singh] out.

“So we are in with a big chance. They are under pressure we know that. So we are looking ahead at the second game.”

Aussie captain Ponting was bemused by Zaheer’s defensive claim.

“I don’t know what he means, to tell the truth,” Ponting said. “We were the only ones trying to take the game forward.

“We played aggressive cricket.”

Australia, who resumed at the overnight score of 193-5, declared their second innings at 228-6 half-an-hour after the start to give their bowlers a minimum of 83 overs to dismiss India.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 430 (M.E.K. Hussey 146, R.T. Ponting 123, S.M. Katich, 66; Zaheer Khan 5-91, I. Sharma 4-77).

INDIA (1st Innings) 360 (Zaheer Khan 57 not out, Harbhajan Singh 54, R. Dravid 51; M.G. Johnson 4-70).

AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 193-5):

M.L. Hayden lbw b Zaheer 13

S.M. Katich c Laxman b Harbhajan 34

R.T. Ponting c Laxman b Sharma 17

M.E.K. Hussey b Harbhajan 31

M.J. Clarke c Sehwag b Sharma 6

S.R. Watson b Sharma 41

B.J. Haddin not out 35

C.L. White not out 18

EXTRAS (B-12, LB-11, W-6, NB-4) 33

TOTAL (for six decl, 73 overs) 228

FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-49, 3-99, 4-115,

5-128, 6-203.

BOWLING: Zaheer Khan 17-4-46-1 (2nb); Sharma 14-3-40-3 (6w); Harbhajan Singh 27-5-76-2; Sehwag 7-1-12-0 (1nb); Kumble 8-0-31-0 (1nb).

INDIA (2nd Innings):

G. Gambhir b Johnson 29

V. Sehwag c Hayden b Clark 6

R. Dravid c Ponting b Lee 5

S.R. Tendulkar c Clark b White 49

V.V.S. Laxman not out 42

S.C. Ganguly not out 26

EXTRAS (B-16, LB-3, NB-1) 20

TOTAL (for four wkts, 73 overs) 177

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-24, 3-77, 4-138.

BOWLING: Lee 11-3-26-1 (1nb); Clark 11-6-12-1; Watson 5-2-8-0; Johnson 8-3-23-1; Clarke 20-7-40-0; White 18-4-49-1.

RESULT: Match drawn.

UMPIRES: Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: A.M. Saheba (India).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Zaheer Khan.

SECOND TEST: Mohali, Oct 17-21.

THIRD TEST: Delhi, Oct 29-Nov 2.

FOURTH TEST: Nagpur, Nov 6-10.

—Agencies