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June 30, 2006 (Click to see the Scorecard)

Jerome Taylor’s blistering pace saw West Indies bowl out India for just 200 after the visitors had elected to bat first in the deciding Test Match at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. But for a 93-run stand between skipper Dravid and Kumble, West Indies would have batted by now and could have even got to India’s total. Taylor ripped through the Indian batting order with his red hot pace coupled with the nasty short pitch deliveries that accounted for five dismissals.

 
Tale of the Morning Session

It wasn’t the traditional Sabina Park wicket that would have been hard and shining, it was one which looked slow with the cracks wide open on the first day itself. There was enough moisture beneath the surface for the fast bowlers to start licking. Rahul Dravid had rightly called tails and decided to bat first thinking that the spin combination of Kumble and Harbhajan would be more than handy in the fourth innings. Brian Lara said that the pitch was under prepared and that he would have also batted first.

India’s downfall started in the third ball of the match itself when Sehwag had gone on the backfoot to flick Pedro Collins for a boundary, but instead it was a miraculous catch taken by short leg. It was Ramnaresh Sarwan, who took that stunning catch to his left and his reaction time was just 0.32 seconds! That set the match up and West Indies were a pumped up lot after seeing the back of Sehwag for a duck. Sarwan’s celebration followed with anguish after few deliveries as he was struck on his left knee by a full blooded pull shot from Wasim Jaffer. It all happened in 0.16 seconds and Sarwan had to be carried off the field by atleast four people! Back to the action and Jerome Taylor this time struck with his first wicket knocking Wasim Jaffer’s offstump with a beauty. Jaffer was a touch late on that and did not cover his offstump and Taylor, who had shaped the ball away got it to straighten after hitting the seam. India were 3 for 2 and that meant VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid forget all their shots and offer dead bat defence and the shouldering of arms for a long time to follow. India went to the 1st drinks break at 8 for 2 in 13 overs! Corey Collymore who was introduced in the 16th over almost had India at 13 for 3, but Lara at 2nd slip put down a sitter off VVS Laxman. Finally India got its first boundary through a Dravid’s off drive in the 19th over bowled by Bravo. In the next over from Bravo, Laxman also found a rare boundary and this one was a well controlled edge through the slip cordon. And after some more time of dead bat play, lunch was taken with India galloping at 1.00 run per over to end the first session at 29/2 in 29 overs! VVS Laxman was batting on a 89-ball 14 and Dravid had a better strike rate as he had scored his 13 from just 69 balls.
 

Tale of the Afternoon Session


After lunch, Lara resumed with Bravo and the medium pacer was driven straight down the ground by VVS Laxman for a boundary. But the all rounder had the last laugh after just another two deliveries as Laxman fell playing a loose drive away from his body in an attempt to play some positive strokes. The resulting edge was taken at gully by substitute Runako Morton and that was the end of a good defensive knock of 18 by VVS. Yuvraj then walked in and he was trying to counter the good bowling with some well struck shots. He was helped by a full toss from Pedro Collins at the start and the left hander got two more boundaries and West Indies resorted back to the lively Jerome Taylor. It took just one ball from the quickie to bowl a near yorker that beat Yuvraj with pace and swing on the toe. It was a painful blow for Yuvraj (19) as he was toe before the wicket and he had to be helped to get back to the pavilion by 12th man VRV Singh. India were soon 78 for 5 in the 48th over as Kaif fended a snorter of a rising delivery from Taylor to the slips. If that wasn’t enough, a little over two overs later, Mahendra Singh Dhoni fell playing the cut shot off Collymore. Dhoni was cramped for room in that shot which was played more for trying to get on top of the bowling. It was a sharp catch taken by Bravo in the slips and that had got India reeling at 91 for 6. Dravid who was falling short of partners at the other end decided that enough was enough and he played two terrific pull shots for boundaries off Jerome Taylor. India did not lose any further wickets and went to Tea at a sorry state of 102 for 6 with Dravid on 35 and Kumble on 8.

Tale of the Final Session


After Tea, Rahul Dravid finally got to his 45th Test Match fifty which had taken him just 163 balls! The partnership between Dravid and Kumble was only getting better with the latter determined to stay with his partner. There were few shots played by Kumble as well and this partnership was soon frustrating the West Indies fielders and Lara had to call all his team members for a quick meeting. The partnership finally came to an end in the 80th over with Kumble (45) once again falling just short of his fifty and once again for the third time in this series playing onto his stumps with a loose backfoot defence. Jerome Taylor was the bowler this time and that was the end of the 93 runs partnership that took India to 184 for 7. Few overs later, India were knocked down with Dravid poking at an away going delivery from the 2nd new ball bowled by Corey Collymore. Dravid fell for a 215-ball 81 which had 10 hits to the fence. Jerome Taylor cleaned up the remaining two wickets dismissing both Sreesanth and Munaf Patel for ducks. Sreesanth played onto his stumps after removing his eyes off a short delivery that climbed up just over his waist and Munaf got a wicked bouncer. Munaf’s wicket meant that India were bowled out for 200 and it was Jerome Taylor’s 1st five wicket haul in Tests. That was also the end of Day 1, a day that truly belonged to the home side. Jerome Taylor ended up with 5 for 50 after bowling 18.4 overs and Bravo, Collymore picked up a couple of wickets each.

Well West Indies are clearly with the advantage in this Test Match and India have no option but to attack. Chris Gayle would be the danger man for them when it comes to chasing low totals as the left hander can put up a counter attack to upset the possible good bowling from the Indians. It is a pitch where experts say that you are never in and a perfect example was that of Dravid nicking behind after making 81. So India will hope that the early morning moisture if at all present will aid Munaf and Sreesanth. For the West Indies, it is important that they get a huge lead to bat India out of this Test Match.

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