PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM

RETURN OF GOOD TIMES: Team India fought back well to record a win and keep its hopes alive in the DLF Cup.

Kuala Lumpur: Through some excellent bowling India scripted a stirring comeback to keep the flame alive — a flame Brian Lara, at number nine, did his utmost to snuff out. The consequence of the 16-run win is that Friday's match between India and Australia is a virtual semifinal: the winner will square off against West Indies on Sunday for the DLF Cup.

Things hadn't looked rosy at the mid-way stage. Dismissed for 162 by a pop-gun attack, India, had failed to break through in the nine overs it was required to bowl because of its innings ending more than three-quarters of an hour before the break.

That Rahul Dravid's men had got even that far was thanks to a 78-run partnership of the highest quality for the seventh wicket between Sachin Tendulkar, who conducted a master-class in the principles of sticky-wicket batting, and Harbhajan Singh, who eschewed his usual batting hotheadedness to knuckle down admirably.

Three overs into the second session, and things hadn't changed significantly. The lights were beginning to take effect; West Indies, resuming on 34 for no loss had made unspectacular progress. India's bowling, with Sreesanth coming in for Irfan Pathan, looked stronger, but it wasn't till Munaf Patel hustled Shivnarine Chanderpaul into an out-of-control quasi hook that the men in blue broke through.

Munaf strikes

Munaf then brought one back at Sarwan at an uncomfortable height as West Indies decided to poker-shuffle its batting line-up to give the middle order match time. Munaf's twin strike came during a period of considerable pressure. Sreesanth was hitting the high eighties — once even sneaking into 90 mph territory — and keeping things tight.

Runako Morton, given a chance to open, freed his arms at a wide one, but Sreesanth had him nicking to second slip, where Dravid parried — again — to Dhoni. Wavell Hinds meanwhile was trying to lay a painstaking bat on ball. Marlon Samuels flashed one past point; Agarkar, brought on for Munaf, trapped him in front. R.P. Singh then gypped Chris Gayle, batting at six, to play down the wrong line. Five for 70, and the first whiff of something special. It certainly had Kapil Dev, here as a commentator, excited.

Dwayne Smith seemed to prefer a speedy end — either way — to a long-drawn struggle. He drop-kicked R.P. Singh to mid-wicket before driving the left-armer on the up, and punching him through on. But, Smith was adjudged leg-before to Agarkar despite getting an inside edge, and when Bravo was done in by M.S. Dhoni's pickpocket routine, West Indies had slid to 96 for seven.

Lara mounted a counter-attack of rarefied brilliance, and managed to convince Carlton Baugh to stick around after Hinds finally fell. Just as it seemed Lara had turned the tide, courtesy some of the most lacerating late cuts, Harbhajan had Baugh caught at slip. Sreesanth fluffed a run out opportunity as things got panicky, but redeemed himself by breaching the last man's defence — a task he hadn't managed in the Antigua Test.

Up against a West Indies attack that despite comprising just one bowler, Corey Colleymore, was managing to make a nuisance of itself, the Indian batting floundered. Dwayne Smith — opening the bowling, how about that Mikey Holding? — illustrated the virtues of keeping the seam from wobbling, and picked up four in an unchanged ten-over spell. Rahul Dravid got one that straightened, Virender Sehwag copped one that kept low.

Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and Dhoni had only themselves to blame for their dismissals.

Tendulkar was magnificent. Primarily, he wristed to on, often playing well in front of his pad. Just twice he allowed himself the opulence of a cover drive slapped on the up. Harbhajan's application ensured he could pick the singles, and the pair lasted 15.5 overs before the off-spinner tried a cute glide, and was well held by keeper Baugh.

It was a day no bowler would conquer Tendulkar; when he eventually threw his head back in dismay it was because R.P. Singh's straight hit had taken part of bowler Samuels's hand en route to the stumps. As it transpired, Tendulkar's 102-ball 65 with seven fours was enough. Only just.

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