Related Links : India in West Indies : Scorecard
The Antigua Recreation Ground had a fitting end to its 25 years of International Cricket hosting as the result of the 1st Test Match between West Indies and India came only in the final delivery of the match. It was the tail that saved the day and the Test Match for the West Indies. Fidel Edwards the no. 1o batsman, who was batting with a runner survived 36 deliveries and his partner Corey Collymore, the no. 11 did the finishing job by comfortably seeing off the final over of the match bowled by Sreesanth. India came so close but so far in this Test Match as it fell short by just one wicket from snatching the victory from a side that dominated the first two days of the match.
West Indies required 379 runs from a minimum of 90 overs at the start of today’s play. India started off with Munaf Patel and Sreesanth and both bowled reasonably well to keep Chris Gayle quiet. But it was the wickets that India were not getting and Daren Ganga who was looking solid put on a promising partnership for the opening wicket. India had to wait till the 26th over to finally get a breakthrough and it was Anil Kumble with his top spinner got the wicket of Ganga as the batsman got the glove in his defensive shot and Yuvraj at short leg dived to his left to complete a sensational catch. Sreesanth was brought back for his 2nd spell of the day and he got a lucky wicket in the form of Sarwan, who played a loose drive to a wide and full delivery to nick it to gully. Sreesanth at this stage was bowling with a nice upright seam and he got the big fish Brian Lara in the last over before lunch. Lara shuffled across his offstump and was rapped up on the pads by the inswinger, a loud appeal followed and the umpire Asad Rauf was unmoved. Lara attempted a quick leg bye and as he reached the non striker’s end, Asad Rauf looked to have processed his decision finally to raise his finger. It was the right decision though from the Umpire and it was also Lunch on Day 4 with West Indies slumping down to 72 for 3 and with Gayle on 28.
After Lunch, India was expected to make further inroads in the Windies batting and Sreesanth with his tail up was troubling Shivnarine Chanderpaul with his movement. Chanderpaul after a while, realized that he was batting against his dear Indian attack and soon took the bowlers to the cleaners with his sweetly timed cover drives. The former West Indian skipper is one of the most prolific scorers against India and he already had grinded the Indian attack for 5 hundreds. Taking a clue from Chanderpaul, Gayle got back playing his natural game and Indian bowling looked to have bowed under these two strokemakers. West Indies went into Tea without losing any wicket and this pair added 86 runs.
Just a few overs after the Tea Break, Anil Kumble was rewarded with the wicket of Gayle, who was given out lbw despite putting on a long stride forward. Gayle could have been out much earlier in the first session itself, when he had got the glove to the keeper while attempting to sweep Kumble. He did capitalize on that umpiring mistake to make 69 which had three ferocious sixes. Most importantly he played 188 deliveries, almost 1/3rd of what West Indies had to survive to save this Test Match. After a while, Kumble picked up his 3rd wicket that of the dangerous Chanderpaul in the 68th over. It was a leg break that turned sharply to strike the pads and the ball on impact went straight to slip and Taufel gave that out as a catch thinking that the ball might have kissed the outside edge as well. Chanderpaul departed with a shake of the head and a few words muttered and his innings of 62 was well on course of securing the draw for West Indies. Sehwag then struck twice to remove Bravo and Ramdin to take India three wickets away from a victory. It was a top spinner that forced Bravo to nick it behind to the keeper and Ramdin played an atrocious cut shot to a one that was cramping him for room. Dravid at 1st slip took the catch in the 2nd attempt.
Just three wickets to take with about 21 overs in hand, India were comfortably placed to win this match. But Ian Bradshaw kept on blocking the ball with ease and Dave Mohammed at the other end was doing what he was best at, going after the bowling. Both these tail enders succeeded in doing what they were good at. And it was the 2nd new ball that was taken after drinks that did the job with Munaf getting the wicket of Bradshaw. Once again West Indies were unlucky as Bradshaw’s bat had hit his pads and there was no outside edge onto that. The crowds after knowing this started to throw plastic bottles onto the ground and really got agitated at the turn of events. The situation was controlled by the security and the same was controlled by the next pair of Dave Mohammed and Fidel Edwards, who had come along with Daren Ganga as the runner. Dave Mohammed got plenty of free boundaries as the Indians did not have anyone in the outfield and the left hander got to a run-a-ball fifty. Anil Kumble gave India the breakthrough in his 2nd last over of the day as he cleaned up Dave Mohammed with a tossed up leg break as the left hander was tentative in playing a flick shot. India’s hopes of winning the match were back but the finishing act couldn’t be done in the end with Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore surviving an over each from Kumble and Sreesanth respectively.
India were down and out of this Test Match for two days and to comeback to this position of strength was indeed a great achievement. Wasim Jaffer has been instrumental in India’s fightback with his 212 that also gave him the Man of the Match award. The visitors would be disappointed at their thin bowling attack which over relied on Anil Kumble to deliver. West Indies have their share of problems as well in the same department as they have lost their fastest bowler Fidel Edwards. Both teams now meet at St.Lucia for the 2nd Test Match which begins on the 10th.