You are here: Home » Australia » Brave Chanderpaul inspires West Indies’ revival at Sabina Park

Brave Chanderpaul inspires West Indies’ revival at Sabina Park

Related Links : Australia’s Tour of West Indies 2008 Scorecard

Shivnarine Chanderpaul played an absolutely brave innings on a dangerous Sabina Park wicket which inspired his team to fightback strongly in the opening test. The Guyanese southpaw received a nasty blow on the back of his head after ducking under a Lee bouncer which disgustingly kept low. Despite falling down, the courageous Chanderpaul didn’t give up his fight and went onto score his 18th Test hundred. The West Indies as a result got to 312 conceding a 119-run lead.

Inspired by Chanderpaul’s efforts, the West Indian bowlers lifted their game in an equally stunning fashion. At stumps on Day 3, the Aussies have lost the initiative after a shaky 17 for 4 losing their top four batsmen! The World’s best team is now in a delicate position at a lead of just 132. Opening bowlers Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell took a couple of wickets each with the latter taking the big ones of Ponting and Hussey.

Earlier in the day, Windies had started off at 115 for 3 and the overnight pair of Morton and Chanderpaul kept the Aussies waiting for the breakthroughs. Morton fell before the lunch break trying to be too ambitious against Stuart MacGill. Runako Morton had got 67 (from 135 balls with 10 fours and 2 sixes) and had put on 128 runs for the 4th wicket. The next man in, Dwayne Bravo kept the fight going with Chanderpaul after lunch in his attacking style. But a fifth spell for Brett Lee got the West Indies back on a bad track. Bravo (46 from 60 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes) played a drive away from his body off Lee to be caught in the slips to spoil all the hard work that was done.

After that Chanderpaul-Bravo partnership, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson cleaned up the innings without wasting much time. Shivnarine Chanderpaul had gathered a personal score of 118 (from 276 balls with 13 fours and a six) by then to take West Indies to 312.