Indian bowlers strike back at Antigua

ST JOHN'S/ANTIGUA: Indians claw back after Gayle provides early surge for Windies. Kumble accounts for Ganga and Sreesanth scalps Sarwan.

Earlier, Wasim Jaffer scored a maiden double century to lead India's onslaught on the West Indian bowling on the fourth day of the first Test in St John's on Monday. Jaffer's 212 was the centrepiece of India's second innings of 521 for six declared.   

The West Indies, set 392 to win, were 13 without loss in their second innings at stumps. The visitors were dismissed for 241 in their first innings, to which the West Indies replied with 371.   

Jaffer, who is playing his 11th Test, faced 399 balls and hit 24 fours and a six in his career-best performance. His previous highest score was the 100 he scored against England in Nagpur in March.   

MS Dhoni threatened to upstage Jaffer's diligence and application with a sparkling innings of 69 off 51 balls that included four fours and six sixes.

Earlier, Jaffer completed a maiden Test double-hundred before he was one of two wickets West Indies claimed before tea on the fourth day in the opening Test against West Indies on Monday at the Antigua Recreation Ground.               

West Indies finally removed the 28-year-old Jaffer for 212 and Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, for 62 after the two added 203 for the third wicket to propel India to 378 for four in their second innings at the break.        

Jaffer struck 20 fours and one six from 399 balls faced in a little under eight-and-a-half hours, while Dravid hit just two boundaries from 177 balls in five hours to help earn India a lead of 248. The two helped to fortify India's position in the match, but they were both dismissed in an action-packed half-hour before the interval.   

Dravid was caught at deep backward square leg, when he top-edged a sweep at a delivery pitched outside off-stump from Dave Mohammed that turned in and bounced. Jaffer was one away from his landmark when Dravid departed, and deservedly reached the milestone by turning a delivery from Mohammed through backward square leg for a single.           

There was a tense moment for Jaffer when Mohammed thought he had him caught and bowled on 200. Umpires Asad Rauf and Simon Taufel referred the decision to Billy Doctrove, however the TV Replay umpire saw that the batsmen edged a drive into the turf before the ball rebounded into the hands of the Mohammed.     

 

Bradshaw almost ran out Yuvraj when he was on seven. The batsman pushed the ball back down the track and went for a run but the bowler was quick to get across the pitch, to his left, and hurled a throw at the bowler's end, only to miss.        

 

Bradshaw was in the midst of a lengthy spell, and so too Jaffer, whose long vigil came to an end when he lazily drove at a full length delivery from the left-arm medium-fast bowler and was bowled.     

 

Just before the break, Chris Gayle had a chance to remove Yuvraj for 11 but failed to hold onto a return catch.    

 

Earlier, Jaffer and Dravid had continued to revive the visitors' fortunes in the Test. Jaffer drove Dwayne Bravo off the back-foot through cover for four to reach his 150, before Dravid, batting with typical grit and determination, arrived at his 50, when he steered Bradshaw to third man for a single.        

 

Both batsmen were fortunate to have survived so long. A defensive field setting from West Indies saw edges from Jaffer and Dravid elude the desperate hands of Gayle - the one and only slip fielder - in the opening overs, and the two batsmen continued to move forward confidently.   

 

Bravo suckered Jaffer, on 113, into a drive in the second over of the day, and found the edge of the opener's bat, but the ball flew wide of Gayle at slip, whose desperate dive full length to his right saw him only get his fingertips to the ball. Bravo was again the grieving bowler when, two overs later, Dravid mistimed a cut and the ball flew hard and high to Gayle's right at slip.        

 

India, rated at three on the International Cricket Council's Test Rankings, are seeking their first series victory in the Caribbean for 35 years.              

 

The four-Test series between the two sides also features matches at Gros Islet (June 10-14), Basseterre (June 22-26), and Kingston (June 30-July 4).

Scoreboard:

India (1st innings) 241
West Indies (1st innings)
C Gayle c Dravid b Kumble 72
D Ganga lbw b Patel 9
R Sarwan lbw b Kumble 58
B Lara c Y Singh b Patel 18
S Chanderpaul c Dhoni b Sehwag 24
D Bravo st Dhoni b Sehwag 68
D Ramdin c Dhoni b Patel 26
I Bradshaw c Y Singh b V Singh 33
D Mohammed 19
F Edwards c Dhoni b V Singh 4
C Collymore lbw b Kumble 0
Extras (b-2 lb-14 nb-22 w-2) 40
Total (all out, 98.3 overs) 371
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-137, 3-159, 4-182, 5-255, 6-282, 7-331, 8-359, 9-370, 10-371.
Bowling: S Sreesanth 16-1-96-0 (nb-1 w-2), M Patel 28-7-80-3 (nb-6), V Singh 15-1-61-2 (nb-4), A Kumble 27.3-6-86-3 (nb-5), V Sehwag 12-2-32-2 (nb-2).

India (2nd innings)
Wasim Jaffer b Bradshaw 212
Virender Sehwag c Gayle b Collymore 41
VVS Laxman c Bradshaw b Mohammed 31
Rahul Dravid c Bradshaw b Mohammed 62
Yuvraj Singh c Chanderpaul b Gayle 39 
M Kaif not out 46 
M Dhoni c Ganga b Mohammed 69

Extras (6lb, 6w, 9nb)                  21
Total (for four wickets, 150.5 overs)      521
Fall of wicket: 1-72, 2-147, 3-350, 4-375, 5-419, 6-521

Bowling: Fidel Edwards 5.4 2 16 0, Corey Collymore 23 8 50 1, Ian Bradshaw 40 9 108 1, Dwayne Bravo 26.2 4 98 0 (1nb, 1w), Dave Mohammed 29.5 3 162 3, Chris Gayle 22 5 66 1, Ramnaresh Sarwan 4 0 15 0

West Indies (2nd innings)
C Gayle (batting) 28
D Ganga c Y Singh b Kumble 36
R Sarwan c Kumble b Sreesanth 1
B Lara lbw b Sreesanth 0
Extras (lb4, nb3) 7
Total (for 3 wkts) 72
Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-68, 3-72.
Bowling: Patel 8-1-17-0 (nb1); Sreesanth 8.3-5-16-2; Kumble 9-3-12-1; V. Singh 5-2-23-0 (nb2)
Position: West Indies need 320 more runs to win with seven second innings wickets standing.
Umpires: S. Taufel, Asad Rauf.
TV Replays: B Doctrove
Reserve: C Mack
Match Referee: J Crowe