Yes, Tendulkar made a ton against Zimbabwe on a belter of a batting track at Nagpur - not too surprising. Perhaps less expected was the manner in which Sourav Ganguly batted. The Indian captain, who has been out of sorts for many Tests, looked perfectly comfortable at the wicket, and just when it looked like he would emerge unscathed with a big score, he threw his wicket away.

Let’s face it - Ganguly has a certain contempt for left-arm spinners. He simply cannot resist the urge to come down the wicket and thrash them out of the ground. Spectacular when it comes off, very silly when it doesn’t.

After knocking the ball around sensibly for 38 (99 balls, 7 fours) Ganguly sauntered down the track and deposited a Ray Price delivery straight down the throat of Grant Flower at long on. With 344 on the board, VVS Laxman walked out to the middle. Although not in great strife as far as form goes, Laxman too has been under pressure in the recent past, failing to convert pretty 20s and 30s into anything more meaningful. With that at the back of his mind, Laxman was on 2 from 23 balls at tea.

Tendulkar of course has had no such slumps in form or scoring in a long time. With a steely glint in his eyes, Tendulkar played some dazzling strokes, including a near-perfect straight drive off Travis Friend, to notch up 16 boundaries in his unbeaten 187-ball 102. In the course of his innings, Tendulkar also notched up 7500 Test runs.

The score India reach, and with it the state of this match, will be decided by the kind of innings Laxman can play. If he stays at the wicket for any length of time, in the company of a cool and collected Tendulkar, India will post a sizeable score.

This brought Sachin Tendulkar briefly to the crease, only to begin batting, fresh and energised on the morning of the third day – the weekend. Naturally, the stands bulged with swelling crowds. After all, the last time the people of Nagpur watched Tendulkar bat here, he scored a mere 200 not out. At lunch on the third day, the little master was unbeaten on 46 and Ganguly had just arrived at the crease with 9 to his name. India were 274/3.

Dravid, resuming on 57, continued in much the same vein. With Stuart Carlisle doing his best to slow down the proceedings, Dravid played well within himself, content to just close out one end. It was a strategy that India wouldn’t have minded too much with Tendulkar in ominous mood at the other end. However, as defensive strategies often go, it did not work for too long. Adding 8 runs to his overnight score, Dravid was dismissed on 65, chopping hard at one that kept low from Heath Streak. The ball kissed the inside edge and went straight back onto the stumps.

No such defensive outlook from Tendulkar. The defence was there of course when needed, solid, straight bat and high elbow. But it was the late cut that frustrated the left-arm spinner, racing to the fence just when Price thought the ball had gone through to the keeper. When the bowler overcompensated and drifted onto the pads, the midwicket fielder was made to gape in awe as the ball sped away to the fence. Eight hits reached the fence as Tendulkar marched towards his half-century.

Ganugly, fighting hard to regain form from an extended lean trot, looked more comfortable than ever at the crease, playing the spinners and pacemen alike with caution, getting his eye in.