India captain Virat Kohli joined elite company on Sunday, but was left to curse Peter Handscomb's rangy fingers as a low catch controversy reared its ugly head.
Kohli's first-innings century in the second Test was his sixth in Australia - joining Tendulkar at the top of the list for Indian batsman.
Test great Sunil Gavaskar is next best with five.
Kohli took 214 balls to reach his century - 161 of which were dot balls.
But his innings came to an end on 123 in controversial fashion when he was given out caught at second slip.
Handscomb, moving to his right, took the sharp catch off the bowling of Pat Cummins, and immediately put his finger up to signal to Kohli that the ball had carried.
Kohli wasn't so convinced, with the matter referred to the third umpire.
Replays weren't conclusive either way, with some doubt about whether Handscomb got his fingers underneath the ball in time.
But even if Handscomb did succeed in that aspect, his two main fingers were so wide apart that it's possible the ball might have been touching the ground as well.
"I think he did manage to get his fingers underneath the ball ... (but) some part of the ball was probably touching the ground," Mike Hussey told Fox Cricket.
Australian batsman Shaun Marsh didn't have any doubt in his mind.
"We were pretty confident that we caught it. Thankfully it went our way," he said.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been part of catching controversies in the past.
In a spiteful 2008 Test against India at the SCG, which was made infamous for the Monkeygate incident, Ponting's integrity was questioned when he claimed a catch off Mahendra Dhoni.
Replays showed the ball may have touched the ground after Ponting caught it.
Ponting, now commentating for Channel 7, had no doubt it was the correct decision to give Kohli out.
"It's going to be one of those ones where it depends what dressing room you're sitting in," Ponting said.
"In the Indian one you say that clearly bounced. In the Australian dressing room you say you can see his fingers underneath the ball.
"For someone that spent a lot of time in the slips in my career, I have no doubt at all that's hit his fingers on the full."
Kohli arrived at the crease with India reeling at 2-8 in their first innings.
By the time he departed, India were 6-251 and a chance to take a first-innings lead.
Kohli's average in Australia is 60.63 from 19 innings - a remarkable feat given the struggles international batsmen often encounter Down Under.
Share
