NEW DELHI, 27 November 2007 — Sachin Tendulkar completed a robust half-century as India coasted to a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the opening cricket Test yesterday.

Needing just 32 runs on the final morning, India lost overnight batsman Saurav Ganguly before Tendulkar (56 not out) reached his 46th half-century to drive India home.

Chasing a modest target of 203, India was on the verge of victory at 171 for three when play ended Sunday.

Tendulkar, resuming at 32, cover drove leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to complete his half-century and then square-cut paceman Shoaib Akhtar for the winning boundary. His 109-ball knock contained nine fours.

V.V.S. Laxman remained unbeaten on five. Ganguly failed to add to his overnight score of 48, miscuing a pull against Akhtar to Sohail Tanvir at deep fine-leg.

Bowling a fiery spell, Akhtar (4-58) was the lone Pakistan bowler to impress in India’s second innings.

Ganguly and Tendulkar added 88 runs for the fourth wicket that ensured India’s smooth sailing at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, where it now has three wins from five Tests against Pakistan.

The two other India-Pakistan matches at this venue ended in draws.

This was the ground where Pakistan made its Test cricket debut, but a Test win here continues to elude it. Leading India to victory on his captaincy debut, the game was a personal triumph for skipper Anil Kumble who emerged as the man of the match by claiming seven wickets. Kumble produced vital breakthroughs whenever Pakistan’s batsmen sought to stage a fightback.

“This ground has been very special for me,” said Kumble, who dismissed all 10 Pakistan batsmen in an innings when India last played a Test match against Pakistan at this venue in 1999.

Kumble’s feat made him only the second bowler after England’s Jim Laker to claim all 10 wickets in a Test innings.

“Getting Pakistan out under 250 in both innings was a credible performance for our attack,” said Kumble. “The boys responded very well, each one of them made a significant contribution.”

Kumble praised the batting of Vangipurappu Laxman and Mahendra Dhoni, who hit fifties in the first innings, and Sachin Tendulkar, who finished off in style with 56 not out as the home team knocked off the 32 runs needed.

“Every time he (Tendulkar) goes out to bat he has to handle pressure and he has done it for the last 18 years,” said Kumble.

“The hunger is there as always. He is definitely going to be number one Test batsman in terms of runs, centuries, everything.”

Tendulkar is the second-highest scorer in Tests with 11,207 runs and a record 37 centuries. Retired West Indies captain Brian Lara leads with 11,953.

He said the partnership between Laxman and Mahendra Dhoni in the first innings was crucial as it helped India recover from a top-order slump.

“It was important to me to get into the groove straightaway, three months away from cricket is a long break,” said Kumble.

Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik was confident his team would recover from this loss to contest the three-Test series.

“Pakistan’s a good side, I’m confident we’ll bounce back.” said Malik.

He said the Pakistan batsmen fell 100 runs short on the slow-turning track.

“If we had set India a 300-run target in the second innings, the result could have been in our favor,” Malik said. “If you have to win a Test match, the batsmen have to score 400. We failed to get anywhere near that.”

Malik bemoaned his team’s poor second innings batting and a lack of sunshine in wintry Delhi.

Malik said the total was inadequate for leg spinner Danish Kaneria to come into play and the lack of strong sunshine meant the wicket did not break up when India batted last.

“We were 100 runs short in the second innings,” Malik told reporters. “Whoever is the spinner, he needs some amount of time to get the batsmen out.

“If the sun had shone on this pitch, it would have behaved differently. From the day the match started, it hardly got any sunshine.”

He praised strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar for his strong Test comeback, taking six for 102 in his first Test since January, including all four Indian second innings wickets.

“Shoaib was outstanding in this Test and his performance is great for the Pakistan team.” He rejected criticism the team lacked the aggression of past Pakistan teams, particularly against their traditional rivals.

“Everything was there, aggression, passion everything,” he said.

Pakistan are hopeful fast bowler Umar Gul would regain fitness before the second Test starting in Kolkata on Friday after missing the opening game due to a back problem.

“Gul is much better. He will have a fitness test in the next day or two.”