Sachin Tendulkar struck his 45th Test century and Rahul Dravid his 29th as India toyed with the Bangladesh attack to tighten their grip over the second and final Test in Mirpur on Monday.

India were 495 for five - 226 runs ahead of the hosts - when stumps were drawn after Harbhajan Singh's (13) dismissal in the 103rd over of the innings.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting on 22 at close of play.

Earlier, twin half-centuries by Sehwag and Gambhir gave India to a flying start.

Resuming on his overnight personal score of 41, Sehwag reached his half-century in the third over of the morning with a boundary off Shahadat who, four overs later, had the batsman caught behind. Sehwag needed 61 balls for his quick knock of 56 which he made with the help of seven fours.

Gambhir, who resumed the day on 26, caught up with his senior opening partner, Sehwag, with a flurry of fours, including two from consecutive balls off Shahadat Hossain in the fifth over of the morning and raced to his 11th fifty in 60 balls.

With this, Gambhir equalled West Indian legend Vivian Richards's record of 11 fifty-plus knocks in consecutive Tests.

Gambhir, however, failed to negotiate a Shafiul Islam bouncer and the resulting edge was easily collected by Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps half an hour before lunch.

Gambhir's 68 (83 balls) was studded with nine boundaries.

The 103-run opening stand between Gambhir and Sehwag provided the perfect platform for the visitors to push for a big total and the Dravid-Tendulkar stand - their record 17th century partnership - ensured the pressure on Bangladesh only intensified.

The two Indian batting legends put up a 222-run third wicket stand.

Tendulkar got two lifelines after being dropped twice by Raqibul Hasan - on 27 and on 50.

Dravid too had his share of good fortune. Batting on 28, he was caught in the slip off Rubel Hossain but it was called no-ball by umpire Billy Bowden.

Tendulkar's fluent 182-ball knock was studded with 13 fours and a six, while Dravid hit 12 fours during his 188-ball knock before he had to leave the field.

Dravid and Tendulkar on Monday eclipsed the 16 century-plus partnership record shared by Mathew Hayden-Ricky Ponting (Australia) and Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes (West Indies).

Dravid displayed a fluent knock on Monday. He batted with consummate ease and gave fans a spectacle of technically sound batting.

However, his run marathon was brought to an abrupt halt when, batting on 111, he was forced to retire hurt after a Shahadat Hossain bouncer hit him on the ear guard.

After Dravid retired hurt, Tendulkar fell to a soft dismissal when he chipped a Shakib Al Hasan delivery to Imrul Kayes at mid-wicket.

Murali Vijay, who came in after Dravid's injury, played a stylish innings of 30.

After Tendulkar was dismissed with India's score on 421 for 3, Murali Vijay fell shortly.

Harbhajan fell in the last over of the day after he was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim off Shafiful Islam.

After dominating the match right from the word go, India, who scored a brisk 390 runs from the 89.5 overs, would now look to post a big first innings score so that they do not have to bat for the second time in the match.