Related Links : India’s Tour of West Indies 2011 : Scorecard of West Indies Vs India, 3rd Test at Roseau
India have a great chance of pulling off a victory on the final day of the third and final Test at Roseau thanks to Harbhajan Singh’s late blows. West Indies who got to a tremendous position of 201 for 3 slipped to 224 for 6 by the close of play on the fourth day which has left them with a below par lead of 81 runs. It was a dream day for the young Kirk Edwards as he went onto score a century on debut and along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul put up a 150-plus partnership.
Tale of the Morning Session :
The start of play on Day 4 was slightly delayed due to rain but there wasn’t much time lost and India resumed at an overnight score of 308 for 6. Skipper MS Dhoni lost his overnight partner Harbhajan Singh (12) in just the second ball of the morning after the latter was bounced out by Fidel Edwards in an attempted hook shot. Praveen Kumar who came in next added a few runs which stretched the lead but in the 107th over, India received another blow when MS Dhoni (74 from 133 balls with 4 fours) was caught pulling Fidel Edwards to deep backward squareleg at a total of 339 for 8.
Praveen Kumar after a handy 23 from 27 balls (with 2 fours and a six) fell in the next over slicing his big shot off Bishoo to point. In the very next over, Fidel Edwards got Ishant Sharma fending him off in the hands of shortleg to finish off with a 10th 5-wicket haul. India got bowled out for 347 in 108.2 overs while getting a handsome lead of 143 runs.
By Lunch, West Indies was under pressure at 26 for 2 in 13 overs with both the openers gone. First to go was debutant Kieran Powell (4) who rather than coming forward went back to edge a good length delivery from Ishant to third slip in the 6th over. Just an over after his dismissal, Adrian Barath (6) opened the face of the blade and guided Praveen Kumar’s outswinger uppishly into the hands of gully to lose his wicket with a poor shot.
Tale of the Afternoon Session :
India got an early wicket after lunch as Darren Bravo (14 from 40 balls) perished in an attempt to play an extravagant lofted shot off Harbhajan but only to get caught by Praveen Kumar running in from deep mid off. Bravo’s dismissal left West Indies hopelessly placed at 40 for 3.
Debutant Kirk Edwards and Shivnarine Chanderpaul both had anxious moments to begin their partnership but fortunately got away from them. Edwards survived with quite a few mishit pull shots off short pitch deliveries from the pacers while Chanderpaul survived two close lbw shouts from Harbhajan. The duo dented the Indian attack in the rest of the afternoon session to take West Indies to 116 for 3 in 49 overs with Edwards on 62* and Chanderpaul on 25*. There was a tough chance to his right for Dravid which was put down just prior to the Tea Break when Chanderpaul was forced to nick a bouncing off break from Harbhajan.
Tale of the Final Session :
Kirk Edwards was more positive having got past a fifty in the previous session. Within no time, he had his eyes on what could be a maiden Test hundred while Chanderpaul got too solid at his end much to the dislike of the Indians. It was going to be a long partnership for the first time in the series for the West Indies. Dhoni ran out of bowling resources and had to resort to a few overs from Suresh Raina and the leg breaks of Abhinav Mukund.
Eventually, India conceded a century on debut for Kirk Edwards, the 14th West Indian batsman to achieve this feat in Test Cricket. Just when India had given it up in breaking this partnership, came Harbhajan Singh as the last throw of the dice. Coming from round the sticks, Harbhajan fired an arm ball from round the sticks and Edwards went back for a cut shot but could only edge it to the keeper after clearly getting done in for the pace off the wicket. Kirk Edwards departed after a heroic 110 (from 195 balls with 9 fours and a six) while adding up 161 runs with Chanderpaul to take West Indies to 201 for 4 in 74.3 overs.
Just a couple of balls after Edwards’ exit, Harbhajan Singh who was breathing fire hit the backpad of Marlon Samuels with a quicker off break from round the sticks. Harbhajan’s loud appeal forced Umpire Kettleborough to raise his finger but it was a bad decision as the impact was just outside the line of off and was never going to come back enough to hit the off stump! And the final nail to the coffin was struck when Wicket Keeper Carlton Baugh (10) drove on the up early to a Praveen Kumar delivery which stopped on him and forced the batsman to helplessly lob it to covers in what was the ;ast over before close. It was the second new ball which got Praveen the wicket. Munaf who shared the new ball with him was deadly going past the bat of Chanderpaul twice.
West Indies finished the day’s play at a disappointing 224 for 6 in 83 overs with Chanderpaul on 73* (from 201 balls with 5 fours) and Skipper Darren Sammy on 1* (from 3 balls). The hosts with a lead of just 81 runs with not much batting left are staring at defeat.