Australia fell six wickets short of victory over India as the first Test petered out to a disappointing draw on the final day in Bangalore.Set 299 for victory on a slow but occasionally difficult wicket, the Indians were 4-177 when Australian captain Ricky Ponting agreed to call a halt to proceedings after a final session lengthened by two delays for bad light.
Batsman VVS Laxman (42no) and Sourav Ganguly (26no) held firm either side of the breaks to ensure the Australians would leave the M Chinnaswamy Stadium disappointed after failing to finish off a match they controlled for long periods.
India had been a shaky 3-77 when Mitchell Johnson (1-23) found a way through the defence of Gautam Gambhir (29) soon after lunch, but Tendulkar and Laxman then combined for a stand of 61 that all but ended Australian hopes of squeezing out a last day win.
Tendulkar began his innings needing 64 to pass Lara's total of 11,953 runs and so become the greatest scorer in Test history, but after reaching 49 and with the light getting murky, he drove impatiently at a well-flighted ball from debutant Cameron White (1-49) and was caught at short cover.
White's delight at a momentous first wicket enhanced a creditable maiden Test appearance, in which he also fielded well and made a handy 18 not out as the tourists set their target this morning.
Australia declared at 6-228 after adding 35 runs in five overs of play, losing Shane Watson (41) in the second over to Ishant Sharma (3-40) before Brad Haddin (35no) and White batted swiftly to allow the tourists to build the lead.
Their defence of it began in ordinary fashion when Haddin, who did not have a good match behind the stumps, dropped an awkward but catchable snick from Sehwag off Brett Lee (1-26).
Fortunately for Haddin and the Australians, Sehwag was to last only one more ball.
Stuart Clark (1-12) gained a hint of away swing to claim Sehwag's outside edge when the batsman tried to flick to leg, Hayden clasping a low catch at slip.
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