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Raina and Harbhajan help India recover from terrible start

S. Dinakar

— Photo: AFP

ALL AT SEA:Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not last long, edging Devendra Bishoo to Lendl Simmons (not in pic).

Kingston (Jamaica): It was a Monday of fortune swings on an intriguing Sabina Park pitch. There were cracks on the surface and the ball, on several occasions, reared at the batsmen.

Counter-attacking innings from Suresh Raina (82) and Harbhajan Singh (70) — the two added 146 runs for the seventh wicket — enabled India recover from 85 for six on the first day of the opening Digicel Test.

Then, a blistering spell from Fidel Edwards — he swung the ball at telling speeds and went for the jugular with his short-pitched stuff — enabled the host to restrict India to 246 in its first innings.

The West Indies was 34 for one at stumps. There was lift and seam movement for Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar sent down a few mean out-swingers and both Harbhajan and Amit Mishra got the ball to turn and bounce.

The West Indies lost opener Lendl Simmons, caught bat-pad at short-leg after Ishant got a delivery to nip back.

Adrian Barath (26 batting) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (2 batting) were at the crease. Barath off-drove Mishra pleasingly but also survived a few anxious moments when the leg-spinner turned the ball across the face of the willow.

Earlier, the left-right combination of Raina and Harbhajan disrupted the line of the West Indies bowlers in a crucial stand.

The left-hander, not really tested by the short-pitched stuff, batted with balance and poise. Raina had a lot riding on this innings and put mind over matter.

The southpaw was also judicious in his stroke-play. Raina oozed self-belief when he cover-drove Bishoo off the front foot. Soon, the leg-spinner was straight-driven.

Time-tested methods

Raina relied on time-tested methods. When the ball was pitched up, he drove in the ‘V'. And when the deliveries were pitched short, the left-hander responded with cuts and pulls.

The determined Raina was the last man to be dismissed; his pull off Rampaul was held by Bishoo close to the square-leg ropes.

Wherever there is Harbhajan, a fight is seldom far away. Harbhajan waded into the attack, took calculated risks against Bishoo to upset his rhythm.

When Bishoo varied his trajectory with a quicker ball, Harbhajan responded with a fierce cut. And when he flighted, Harbhajan dared to hit against the spin with a slog sweep.

Harbhajan's hand-eye coordination is his ally. And he can also cause plenty of damage with his bat-speed. When Rampaul pitched short, he nonchalantly swung him to the fine-leg ropes. Harbhajan, soon, bludgeoned Rampaul through covers.

Eventually, a brilliant act of catching ended the surging association. Bishoo sprinted to deep square-leg and then dived to his left to come up with the ball after Harbhajan miscued a hook off Edwards.

Rahul Dravid had promised much before Bishoo, imparting serious revolutions on the ball, took him out on the drive with a flighted leg-spinner.

Seeking early momentum after lunch, Dravid smacked Bishoo for boundaries through covers off either foot. The leg-spinner held his nerve.

Dravid's 40 was a pleasing innings but the experienced campaigner failed to kick on.

Bishoo struck again. The leg-spinner gave the ball air putting seeds of doubts in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mind. The Indian skipper, caught at the crease, was done in by both the turn and the bounce.

V.V.S. Laxman succumbed to Bishoo in the first session. The flighted ball drew Laxman forward and the turn found the edge for the slip to come into play.

Debutant Virat Kohli did not last long. His away-from-the-body push when Edwards got one to shape away was straight out of ODI cricket. India went to lunch at an uneasy 69 for four after electing to bat.

Edwards, with his sling-arm action, and the bustling Rampaul form an interesting combination. Edwards extracted awkward lift from just short of a good length.

Rampaul's run-up lacked momentum and thrust but he used his strong shoulders and wrists to get the ball to climb.

Rampaul's sound wrist position also enabled him achieve lateral movement.

The West Indian dismissed Vijay with a delivery that left the right-hander to force a miscued drive.

Debutant left-hander Mukund got behind the line of the short-pitched balls and left deliveries outside the off-stump.

Mukund (11) was looking good when he pushed a tad tentatively outside the off-stump at Rampaul — the delivery came in a shade — and ended up playing on.

India — 1st innings: A. Mukund b Rampaul 11 (41b, 1x4), M. Vijay c Bishoo b Rampaul 8 (12b, 1x4), R. Dravid c Sammy b Bishoo 40 (67b, 7x4), V.V.S. Laxman c Sammy b Bishoo 12 (31b, 2x4), V. Kohli c Baugh b Edwards 4 (10b, 1x4), S. Raina c Bishoo b Rampaul 82 (115b, 15x4), M.S. Dhoni c Simmons b Bishoo 0 (2b), Harbhajan c Bishoo b Edwards 70 (74b, 10x4, 1x6), Praveen lbw b Edwards 4 (7b, 1x4), A. Mishra c Sarwan b Edwards 6 (13b), Ishant Sharma (not out) 0 (2b); Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-6): 9; Total (in 61.2 overs): 246.

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Vijay), 2-30 (Mukund), 3-64 (Laxman), 4-69 (Kohli), 5-83 (Dravid), 6-85 (Dhoni), 7-231 (Harbhajan), 8-236 (P. Kumar), 9-246 (Mishra).

West Indies bowling: Edwards 16-1-56-4, Rampaul 18.2-2-59-3, Sammy 13-3-42-0, Bishoo 11-2-75-3, Simmons 2-0-8-0, Nash 1-0-3-0.

West Indies — 1st innings: A. Barath (batting) 26 (72b, 3x4), L. Simmons c Vijay b Ishant 3 (23b), R. Sarwan (batting) 2 (26b); Extras (b-1, lb-1, nb-1): 3; Total (for one wkt. in 20 overs): 34.

Fall of wicket: 1-18 (Simmons).

India bowling: Praveen 8-2-12-0, Ishant 6-1-8-1, Mishra 4-0-8-0, Harbhajan 2-1-4-0 .

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