The Little Master batted for three hours and 23 minutes for just 76, holding together a mostly limp performance from India with the bat, before he was caught by keeper Matt Prior off Anderson.
The 76 is modest by his career stats, but is Tendulker’s highest Test score in 11 outings.
England took the honours for the day at Eden Gardens though, and will be keen to wrap up the tail quickly on day two, with captain MS Dhoni and bowler Zaheer Kahn at the crease.
In the past three Tests at this ground, India declared with 600-plus on the board, making the England bowling more impressive, especially considering how bad it could have been without Tendulker’s contribution.
Again England’s skipper Alastair Cook lost the toss – that’s five from five in his Test captaincy career – which could have been a disaster had his bowlers not performed so tightly on a perfectly flat wicket designed to spin at right-angles later in the Test.
Steven Finn’s opening two deliveries found the boundary along a lightening outfield, one of them an edge from Gautam Gambhir – the only other contributer with 60.
But it was downhill from there.
Virender Sehwag was run out going for a rare third run and started the rot.
The pacemen were beating the bat regularly and Panesar was tight, soon bowling Cheteshwar Pujara with a straight one.
Tendukar wasn’t pretty but he was defiant – Gambhir not so much, cutting Jonathan Trott at slip.
Virat Kohli was taking out by impressive Anderson at second slip.
Yuvraj Singh looked dangerous before he flicked one to Cook close in off Graeme Swann’s bowling.
To wrap up the day, Anderson bowled to sometimes pesky with the bat Ravi Ashwin, to leave the visitors buoyant at the perfect start to the match.
Anderson finished on three for 68 from 21 overs while Panesar was 2 for 74 from 35 overs.
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