St. John's: The fourth day of the first Test here at the Antigua Recreation Ground ended with the match split open. India had the edge having set a target of 392; West Indies, with either bluster or self-belief, fancied its chances. The draw and the more exotic tie volunteered themselves as well.

At lunch on the fifth day, the match still remained open, though an Indian win and the draw jostled for pole. After a calming first hour for the home side, S. Sreesanth, twice, and Kumble struck before lunch to leave West Indies at 72 for three.

By tea, Chris Gayle with a responsible, careworn, unbeaten 175-ball 59 and Chanderpaul had mended things sufficiently to ensure only a sensational final session from India would have the islanders in trouble.

Chases and the accompanying pressure do different things to men. Some act out of character; some reveal it. Sreesanth, who struggled to land two in the same region in the first innings, strung together maidens, and squared Gayle up. Gayle, himself, retreated into a shell — outscored three to one at one stage by Daren Ganga and then by Chanderpaul of all people.

There was a suggestion of torpor to the proceedings instead of the edge even-money final days normally have. The crowd — as much as a couple of thousand at best estimate can be called a cricket crowd — was flat. The music stopped; everyone seemed in waiting.

After 45 minutes, Dravid brought on Kumble. The leg-spinner approaches the most insipid of situations with the intensity of a lover slighted, and here was a match that needed winning. He started off with well-metered deliveries to the lone slip and short-leg; a short mid-wicket completed the trap for Gayle.

Twice, the long-shanked opener chipped a parlous flick in the direction of the trap. The first was struck well enough to beat the fielder; the second didn't carry. Either could have done Gayle in. West Indies negotiated the first hour without casualty: thirty-three off 14, taking the score to 46.

All of a sudden, Gayle stirred things up with a pull. To long on. For six. Dravid was beside V.R.V. Singh at mid-on. Ganga then drove the bowler through cover for four.

Kumble, from the pavilion end, was giving nothing away. He spun around in appeal when Ganga propped forward as ball struck pad. Something had to break. Ganga pushed in front of his leading pad, and Yuvraj Singh — still getting accustomed to the demands at short-leg — expended his length to his left.

Biggest wicket

Sreesanth, brought in place of V.R.V. Singh, got Sarwan to play a loose shot outside off-stump to be caught at gully. Then the fast-medium bowler from Kerala snared his biggest Test wicket. Brian Lara had driven Sreesanth imperiously through cover, but Kaif had leapt across to keep the great man on nought, and more crucially on strike. The left-hander promptly played around his left foot - he was caught in front at noon.

After lunch, Chanderpaul edged Sreesanth. Jaffer, at third slip, held out a low hand, but failed to catch it. That was to be the crabby left-hander's only false stroke for a while. He crunched square drives off Sreesanth and Munaf; he drop-kicked V.R.V. to square leg. Sehwag replaced Kumble (16-4-40-1), V.R.V. Singh persevered, but the track held no terror of wear or uneven bounce; no more than any fifth-day strip in any case.

On Monday, what remained to be seen after tea was how badly India wanted to win. It had fought back magnificently from a position of likely defeat; how much would it stake on victory?

Dravid didn't send Dhoni ahead of Kaif. Judging by how the wicketkeeper savaged the opposition for a 51-ball 69 with four fours and six of the most brutal, whipped, towering sixes, the skipper might just have bought himself more time and runs by promoting Dhoni.

Hindsight, as always, will be the ultimate arbiter.

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