Tendulkar shepherds nervous Indians home

Sachin Tendulkar hit a pedigree, unbeaten 75 to steer India to a three-wicket win over Sussex with seven balls to spare in their 50 overs a side day-night tour opener at Hove. His innings included two sixes, one off Will House over the mid-wicket boundary, and the other a straight drive off Mark Davis which just cleared the leaping Michael Yardy.

Tendulkar played himself in carefully after India lost two quick wickets in the aftermath of a brisk opening stand of 60 between Dinesh Mongia and Virender Sehwag. Sehwag had skied a return catch to Kevin Innes for 30, and nine runs later Mohammad Kaif, who had made just two, was bowled by Yardy.

Mongia then completed a half-century, sharing in a third-wicket stand of 57 with Tendulkar before falling to a one-handed catch by James Carpenter at short extra cover off House. Acting captain Rahul Dravid was then bowled by the same bowler for six to reduce the Indians to 144 for four.

Tendulkar completed an unflurried half-century off 54 balls. He lost Yuvraj Singh, caught and bowled by Davis for six at 155-5 with 11 overs remaining, and VVS Laxman, bowled by Innes six overs later at 185-6, and Ajit Agarkar for five, lbw to Innes at 193-7. But Zaheer Khan then helped Tendulkar take India to the 200 mark and ultimate victory.

Earlier Ashish Nehra made an impressive start to his first tour of England, with four for 27 from his 10 overs as Sussex made 203 for eight from their 50 overs.

Nehra removed Michael Yardy for just five, played on with only 24 on the board, but Sussex recovered to reach 141 for three before Nehra took three wickets in three successive overs to reduce them to 155 for six. He bowled Bas Zuiderent for 13, had Bill House caught by VVS Laxman for five and then bowled Tim Ambrose for three.

Opener Richard Montgomerie, who made 44 before being caught in the slips off Zaheer Khan, and Murray Goodwin, who shared a second-wicket stand of 51 with Montgomerie, were the main batting performers for Sussex. Goodwin made 49 before he was bowled charging down the wicket at Virender Sehwag, who bowled eight tidy overs for 32 runs.

Sussex lost their seventh wicket at 174 when Kevin Innes was run out for 10 and then had Mark Davis bowled for 12 by Ajit Agarkar, the only Indian paceman to have toured England before, for the 1999 World Cup. James Carpenter finished unbeaten on 43 to take Sussex through to 203 for eight from their allotted 50 overs.