Kingston: India lost three wickets in their second innings but Rahul Dravid's 45 not out ensured that the visitors' lead grew to 164 runs at the end of second day of the first Test against West Indies here at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
Earlier, India gave a clinical bowling display to bundle out West Indies first innings for 173, giving them an important 73-run lead.
India's second essay, however, began on a sorry note when low bounce on a Ravi Rampaul delivery caught Murali Vijay hopping and right in front to be adjudged lbw without troubling the scorers.
Dravid and Abhinav Mukund then buckled down for a half-century partnership that averted any further damage.
But two wickets in two overs following a 56-run partnership gave India some jitters.
First, it was Mukund (25) who thick-edged an attempted cut off Devendra Bishoo straight into the gloves of Carlton Baugh. Then, in the next over, skipper Darren Sammy snapped up VVS Laxman, (0) caught and bowled, to end a forgettable Test for the Indian stalwart.
Dravid will be accompanied by debutant Virat Kohli, who was not out at 14 runs, on the third morning.
Earlier, the West Indies' first innings folded at tea as the hosts lost their last five wickets for 54 runs to get all out for 173, giving India an important lead.
The new ball pair of Ishant Sharma (3-29) and Praveen Kumar (3-38) ran through the top order before spinners Harbhajan Singh (2-51) and Amit Mishra (2-51) polished off the lower-order batsmen.
India grabbed quick wickets in the first hour after lunch as the West Indies inched closer to conceding lead.
First, Harbhajan ended the 45-run stand between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Baugh when he got the latter caught at silly point by Vijay.
Then, Ishant added another wicket to his tally when he bowled the Windies skipper Darren Sammy off his pads for one run.
Harbhajan, buoyed by Baugh's wicket, got another one in the form of the experienced Chanderpaul (23), whose bat took a faint edge before going into the palms of Mukund. Amit Mishra then made little work of tailenders Fidel Edwards and Bishoo to end the hosts' first innings at 173.
In the morning, one of India's three debutants in the first Test, Praveen Kumar struck three decisive blows in quick succession to bring the visitors right back in contention, with the West Indies reeling at 119/5 at lunch.
However, Kumar's jubilation came to a premature end when he was barred from bowling in the rest of the West Indies first innings after being cautioned earlier by umpire Daryl Harper for landing his foot on the 'danger area' on his follow-through.
But it was Ishant who got India the first wicket of day two when he caught Sarwan (3) right in front in just the second over of the morning.
The Indians were then put on the backfoot when Darren Bravo joined Adrian Barath and they mixed sound defence with aggression.
A sweep off Harbhajan brought Barath his fourth boundary to deep fine leg, releasing some of the early pressure, and a cut off Sharma through backward point for the little opener's fifth four kept the momentum going.
A drive over the top of extra cover off Harbhajan brought Bravo his first boundary and this was followed by a majestic extra cover drive off Ishant for his second.
Fortune deserted Ishant, however, when two deliveries later, Bravo, on nine, edged a loose drive and Raina failed to hold a low, difficult chance diving to his right at third slip.
Harbhajan continued to feel the burden of the punishment from the two batsmen when Barath sashayed down the pitch and drove him authoritatively through extra cover for another four, before whipping Kumar through mid-wicket for a boundary.
Barath reached his 50 from 116 balls, when he lofted leg-spinner Mishra's first delivery to the long-on boundary for his eighth boundary and celebrated with a six over the same position next ball - but Kumar interrupted the flow of runs and eventually accounted for both the batters.
Kumar had Barath (64) caught behind playing defensively forward to a well-pitched delivery that moved away. In his next over, Kumar had left-hander Bravo (18) also caught behind.
The diminutive Barath slammed nine fours and one six from 122 balls and put on 56 runs for the third wicket with compatriot Bravo.
Brendan Nash (1) then became Kumar's third victim of the morning when he was caught in the slip by Suresh Raina to leave West Indies wobbling at 102 for five.
In pics: West Indies vs India 1st Test 2nd day
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.