Sachin Tendulkar became the most prolific batsman in Test history today as he overhauled Brian Lara's run record in Mohali.

India's most famous cricketer sparked a fireworks celebration when he reached 15 shortly after tea on the first day of the Second Test against Australia.

The 35-year-old, who made his debut at the age of 16 in 1989 and has scored a record 39 Test centuries, went past Lara's tally of 11,953 and lifted the record to 12,027 before being dismissed for 88 off 111 balls.

He said: "I would have liked to have got to the record a little earlier but the Aussies are a top side and to get it against them makes it a special moment."

Tendulkar also holds the records for most runs in one-day internationals (16,361) and the most hundreds in that form of the game (42). Today, he passed 50 for the 89th time in Tests and was accelerating towards his hundred until Matthew Hayden snapped up a sharp slip catch to present debut-maker Peter Siddle with a memorable first scalp.

That ended a sparkling fifth-wicket stand of 142 with another former captain Sourav Ganguly, who passed his own landmark of 7,000 Test runs.

India were 311 for five at the close, with Ganguly undefeated on 54.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, batted all day to score 183 for four in the First Test against New Zealand in Chittagong.