Cricket: India claim first test

Sachin Tendulkar belted two sixes from his first two deliveries to help deliver a quick kill as India thumped Australia by eight wickets on Tuesday in the first Test in Chennai.

India reached 2-50 from 11.3 overs before lunch on the fifth day of play chasing a target of 50 to win.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 13 from 10 balls with Cheteshwar Pujara eight not out.

James Pattinson removed Murali Vijay caught at mid-off for six and Virender Sehwag was caught at slip off the bowling of offspinner Nathan Lyon for 19.

Tendulkar, 39, came to the crease at 2-36 and immediately hit Lyon for consecutive sixes over mid-on.

Australia had resumed on day five on a turning pitch at 9-232 and were bowled out for 241 - a lead of 49.

No.11 Lyon was caught at short leg for 11 after adding 66 in 85 minutes for the 10th wicket with debutant Moises Henriques, who was unbeaten on 81.

Indian offspinner Ravi Ashwin claimed 5-95 after his seven-wicket haul in Australia's first innings.

Spinners Harbhajan Singh (2-55) and Ravindra Jadeja (3-72) were the other wicket-takers with Jadeja getting the breakthrough in the ninth over of the final day.

The second Test of the four-match series starts in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Officials say the game will go ahead as planned despite twin bomb blasts in the city last week which killed 16 and injured 117 people.

- AAP