Related Links

July 01, 2006 (Click to see the Scorecard)
West Indies committed harakiri with the bat on the second day to get India right back in the Test Match despite India being bundled out for 200 on the opening day. The homeside were shot out for a meager 103 with India removing the 10 wickets in just over 33 overs. It was a combination of self belief and rash shots from West Indies. Harbhajan Singh who came in to bowl the last over before the lunch break ran through the second half of the West Indies batting line up. India who secured a crucial lead of 97 went onto score 128 more on the board and they still have four wickets in hand. The lead for India is 225 which looks a lot on this track with the second day play itself providing plenty of turn and bounce for the Indian spinners. For the fast bowlers, the pitch has everything from lateral movement to the variable bounce and it needs special knocks from the batsmen to bail their team out of an embarrassment. This deciding Test Match at the Sabina Park is heading for an early finish and that looks certain with 16 wickets falling down in three sessions.

 
Tale of the Morning Session

West Indies had the perfect opportunity to build on their superb show with the ball and they needed their top order to fire. But that wasn’t going to be the case as Sreesanth struck with the fourth ball of the West Indies Innings knocking down the offstump of Chris Gayle. Gayle did not cover the line of the short length delivery from Sreesanth and ended up playing around his leg and middle stump. The ball swung back just enough to take the offstump and that pepped up the Indians. Lara walked in at No.3 and he thought that attack was the best form of defence on this wicket and he was beaten number of times playing some rash shots without moving his feet. Things were happening for the bowlers with outside edges being produced but the slip fielders couldn’t latch onto the half chances. Ganga was the lucky one on most occasions and Brian Lara did play few glorious shots, but was soon sent back by a nasty delivery from Sreesanth. It was a short of length delivery that took off like a jumbo jet after hitting the seam and Lara (26) had no chance but to fend it to the slips. Sreesanth was on fire for sure at this stage and he was being given a long spell. Anil Kumble who was introduced early into the bowling attack was rewarded with the wicket of Marlon Samuels through a great stumping from Dhoni. Kumble’s leg break turned for a change to beat the forward lunge of Samuels (2) and Dhoni took a fraction of a second to whip the bails off to reduce West Indies to 52 for 3. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was the next man in scratched along and he fell too after just five more overs playing an atrocious drive without moving his feet to give Munaf his first wicket. Chanderpaul fell for just 10 and West Indies were tottering at 72 for 4. Harbhajan was introduced in the last over before lunch and in his second ball itself, he got his offbreak to turn sharply to rap up Ganga on the backfoot. Ganga was out for 43 and that was lunch on Day 2 with West Indies slipping down to 80 for 5.
 

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.

Top of the Page