PHOTOS: Indian batting comes good in drawn Oz warm-up tie

Sachin Tendulkar hit a quickfire 92 before retiring as India's first warm-up match on their tour of Australia against a Chairman's XI ended in a draw after rain forced end of play on Friday.

Tendulkar, who will be looking to notch his 100th international career century in the four-Test series that begins in Melbourne on December 26, grabbed his 92 runs off 132 balls with 15 fours.

He showed class as he went about his innings without much fuss. His strokeplay was magnificient as he got into the groove in time for the first Test. 

Tendulkar-Laxman tame inexperienced bowling

Tendulkar was smooth as silk against the inexperienced Aussie bowler. He picked off-spinner Glenn Maxwell for special treatment, slamming his to the boundary at will.

He teamed up with VVS Laxman (57) to get some batting practice going. Both batsmen were in fine touch, striking the ball sweetly to punish the Aussie rookie bowlers. Both, then, retired at tea with the tourists on 240 for three chasing 399 for victory.

Tendulkar came to the crease at the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir (35) in the 21st over and gathered his runs over the next 39 overs, facing 132 balls and hitting 15 fours in through his innings.

132-run stand between Tendulkar-Laxman

Tendulkar shared a 132-run fourth wicket stand with an equally elegant Laxman which drove the hosts to despair. Laxman, who took 66 balls for his 50, also retired like Tendulkar after stroking 57 classy runs.

India had reached 320 for six in the 84th over of their innings when rain forced play to be abandoned at Manuka Oval, which will also host their second and final warm-up match for the Boxing Day Test against another Chairman's XI next week. 
Image: VVS Laxman congratulates Sachin Tendulkar on completing his half-century

Boyce only one to impress amongst Aus bowlers

Uncapped opener Ajinkya Rahane (three) and Virat Kohli (one) were the only tourists not to rack up the runs on what has proved to be a good batting surface with skipper Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma (56 not out) also having solid knocks.

None of the Chairman's XI has any realistic chance of making the Australia team for the Test series but spinner Cameron Boyce added a notch to his belt with the wicket of Dravid on his way to figures of two for 74 when the former India skipper was caught for 45 at mid-off by Peter George. He also had the wicket of Kohli against his name.

Image: Cameron Boyce of the Chairman's XI is congratulated by teammates after dismissing Virat Kohli