Like a comic book villain trying to defeat a super hero, Sachin Tendulkar has come from the darkness with a bold attempt to ruin Steve Waugh's farewell cricket Test.

Tendulkar, while not in vintage form, worked hard to break the shackles of a year-long form slump to post his highest score in 14 months as India finished the first day of the decisive fourth Test in a dominant position at the SCG.

The little master was 73 not out at stumps, having batted 202 minutes and faced 156 balls. VVS Laxman was on 29 and the pair had added 90 runs for the fourth wicket.

Tendulkar, who was averaging just 16.40 in this series after a succession of failures, is set to equal Waugh by posting his 32nd Test century on Sunday morning.

A crowd of 44,901 - a record for the SCG since it was reconfigured in 1978 - turned up to bid farewell to Waugh, who is playing his 168th and last Test.

The fans had to be content with watching the skipper in the field after Sourav Ganguly won the toss and opted to bat.

It was a toss he had to win after including two spinners in his injury-hit touring party.

With Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan out with injury, India opted for tyro paceman Irfan Pathan and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who hasn't played a Test for over three years.

With Stuart MacGill turning the ball sharply before lunch, it's a decision that will take India a long way towards victory if Australia has to bat last chasing a tough total.

To create that situation, India needed a good start, which they got thanks to Australia's sloppiness.

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