Sachin Tendulkar reached another milestone in his already impressive career as he battled to keep India in the fourth Test with the West Indies on Tuesday.

When he cut off-spinner Carl Hooper for four just before tea, the 29-year-old became only the second Indian batsman and the 10th in history to pass 8,000 Test runs.

It comes only a month after Tendulkar scored 117 at Port of Spain to equal the legendary Don Bradman's record of 29 test centuries.

And the timing will come as a relief to both Tendulkar and India after the batsman's recent lean spell that saw three ducks in the four innings since Port of Spain.

It also serves as a reminder of why Tendulkar is widely regarded as the world's best batsman.

Bradman has in the past handed out the ultimate compliment of comparing the man from Bombay to himself.

Certainly Tendulkar's list of achievements is unequalled by any of his contemporaries.

His talent was evident from an early age.

The 15-year-old Tendulkar made 100 not out on his debut for Bombay, then became the youngest ever Indian international at 16, and scored 119 not out against England at Old Trafford the following year.

He holds the world record aggregate for one-day runs and one-day centuries.

And in 2001 he made 146 off 132 balls in a world-record opening stand of 258 with Saurav Ganguly against Kenya.

But he still has some way to go before he matches the greatest names in the history of the sport.

Tendulkar is 10th in the all-time list for Test runs scored on 8,004, well behind India's Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) and Australia's Allan Border (11,174).

If any motivation is needed to keep the runs flowing, the fact that Gavaskar has been one his fiercest critics in recent weeks should spur Tendulkar on to greater heights.

Sanford upset

West Indies paceman Adam Sanford, who grabbed three wickets on the fourth day of the fifth Test said he was disappointed not to be picked for the one-day series against India.

The 25-year-old police officer from Antigua was left out for Corey Collymore of Barbados for the first two back-to-back one-dayers to be played at Sabina Park on Saturday and Sunday.

"I am disappointed at not being selected for the one-day internationals," Sanford said. "I guess it is part of the game.

"I have to improve in certain areas in my bowling and I will be working on it."

He dismissed Rahul Dravid, captain Saurav Ganguly and India's top scorer in the series Vangipurappu Laxman as the tourists, chasing 408 for victory, were left struggling on 237-7 at the close of play.

"I had a job to do and I came out and bowled some balls and did what I was supposed to do," said Sanford, who made his debut in the first Test of the series and has already taken his wicket tally to 15.

"When I get into the rhythm of bowling, just everything flows how I want. It worked in the Busta Cup series.

"I had a long burst and today I got the chance to do it again."

Sanford took 41 wickets for the Leeward Islands in this year's domestic Busta Cup competition.

"The Indians are great batsmen," he said. "They've got a bat and I've got a ball. But as long as they are batting and I am bowling, I guess I have a chance of getting them out."