The Hindu : Sport : India sets sights on historic series win

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Monday, Jul 03, 2006

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Sport

India sets sights on historic series win

S. Ram Mahesh

Set a target of 269 on a tricky track, West Indies loses Gayle early

West Indies was 95 for three at the time of going to press

Kingston: If there were any doubts about Rahul Dravid being his country's greatest ever Test batsman, he dispelled them in the fourth Test here. A Test in which India took early steps towards winning its first series in the Caribbean since 1971.

Ahead by 97 in the first innings, India needed to set West Indies a target in the region of 300, which would prove extremely difficult on a Sabina Park track that was apt not to behave as batsmen would prefer it to. The touring side managed a target of 269, losing four wickets for 43 runs in 16.1 overs on Sunday morning — day three of this accelerated match.

Corey Collymore gleaned the reward of keeping it on a spot, and nibbling it an iota to finish with his fourth five-for.

West Indies — burdened with the task of scoring the largest total of the game in its last innings — lost Chris Gayle, who copped a pair, to Sreesanth in the first over. Daren Ganga and Brian Lara watched out the period till lunch.

Earlier, after India's bowlers had razed the West Indies first innings in just 33.3 overs on the second day, Dravid constructed his second half-century of the match. No one else has made more than 45.

Impressive innings

The 33-year-old's second fifty was — if possible — even more impressive than the first. On day one, he had struggled with timing: an airtight technique and the strongest mind in cricket today helped him through. The beauty lay in the struggle, all emotions turned inwards.

The second day saw him more positive, and in greater control. From the time he walked his precise walk to the middle, replete with the routine of three crisp shadow defensive strokes, not a single delivery could do anything to discomfit him — and this was a strip the ball both kicked off and shot through on.

And, oh, there was cut and swing; the stiff winds that bent flag-poles — not merely fluttered cloth on them — aided the latter.

Dravid kept his head as others around him lost wickets. The 33-year-old played some of the finest straight drives — leant-into conceptions that derived timing both from the wrists, and the leading elbow assuming a position parallel to the ground on stroke completion. Anything short was ruthlessly cut or brutally pulled depending on the line: the adverbs were chosen with thought, for they were violent strokes. And more.

Overnight transition

The overnight transition to Sunday morning was seamless. Except for a fresh set of whites, there was no noticeable change in Dravid. Often, the day of looseness follows the day of the monumental. It's only to be expected with the release of emotions; not with Dravid. He continued playing under his chin, as late as it was humanly possible. Only a freak delivery or an incompetent umpire could have terminated his stay.

Dravid got the former — a molly-grubber that clung to the track, and scooted under his bat.

Earlier, on day two, West Indies innings folded 7.3 overs after the food break, with Harbhajan distilling turn and bounce from the track to get his men either caught by the helmetted Yuvraj or in the deep off mishits for his quickest five-for.

The two key men with the top-order back in the hut for 80 were Dwayne Bravo and Sarwan, batting at seven. The former's aggression could have melded — dangerously for India — with the latter's control. But, Bravo departed fourth ball after lunch; Sarwan swiped thoughtlessly at the off-spinner.

"I wasn't bowling any differently," said Harbhajan, who was happy with the track.

SCOREBOARD

India — 1st innings: 200 in 87.4 overs.

West Indies — 1st innings: C. Gayle b Sreesanth 0, D. Ganga lbw b Harbhajan 40, B. Lara c Jaffer b Sreesanth 26, M. Samuels st Dhoni b Kumble 2, S. Chanderpaul c Dhoni b Patel 10, D. Bravo c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 0, R. Sarwan c Kaif b Harbhajan 7, D. Ramdin c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 10, J. Taylor (run out) 6, P. Collins c Sehwag b Harbhajan 0, C. Collymore (not out) 0. Extras (nb-1, w-1) 2. Total (in 33.3 overs) 103.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gayle), 2-42 (Lara), 3-53 (Samuels), 4-72 (Chanderpaul), 5-80 (Ganga), 6-81 (Bravo), 7-88 (Sarwan), 8-99 (Ramdin), 9-103 (Taylor).

India bowling: Sreesanth 9-3-34-2, Munaf 12-5-24-1, Kumble 8-3-32-1, Harbhajan 4.3-0-13-5.

India — 2nd innings: W. Jaffer c (sub) Morton b Taylor 1, V. Sehwag lbw b Taylor 4, V.V.S. Laxman c Lara b Collymore 16, R. Dravid b Collymore 68, Y. Singh c Lara b Collymore 13, M. Kaif b Collins 6, M.S. Dhoni b Taylor 19, A. Kumble c Bravo b Collymore 10, H. Singh c Lara b Collymore 9, S. Sreesanth c Lara b Taylor 16, M. Patel (not out) 0. Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-1, w-1) 9. Total (in 65.1 overs) 171.

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Jaffer), 2-6 (Sehwag), 3-49 (Laxman), 4-63 (Yuvraj), 5-76 (Kaif), 6-122 (Dhoni), 7-141 (Kumble), 8-154 (Dravid), 9-171 (Sreesanth).

West Indies bowling: Collins 22-8-61-1, Taylor 15-4-45-4, Collymore 24.1-9-48-5, Bravo 4-1-10-0.

West Indies — 2nd innings: C. Gayle c Laxman b Sreesanth 0, D. Ganga (batting) 10, B. Lara (batting) 8. Total (for one wkt. in seven overs at lunch) 18.

Fall of wicket: 1-0 (Gayle).

India bowling: Sreesanth 4-0-11-1, Munaf 2-0-5-0, Harbhajan 1-0-2-0.

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