Indian captain Rahul Dravid once again stood tall under heavy fire from the West Indies bowlers on the second day of the fourth and final Test in Kingston on Saturday.
Updated at 9 am, Sunday
KINGSTON (Jamaica): Indian captain Rahul Dravid once again stood tall under heavy fire from the West Indies bowlers on the second day of the fourth and final Test in Kingston on Saturday.
Dravid scored 62 not out, his second half-century of the match on a spiteful pitch, to take India to 128 for six in their second innings at stumps.
India have built up a lead of 225, which means the West Indies will have to score the highest total of the match and the most ever to win a Test at Sabina Park to clinch the series, which stands at 0-0.
Pacemen Jerome Taylor, with three for 28, again did an admirable job for the West Indies in ensuring India struggled for runs in their second innings.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh put India on the path to victory when he took five for 13 to bowl the West Indies out for 103 in their first innings, giving the visitors a lead of 97.
The West Indies were bundled out in 33.3 overs, losing their last seven wickets for 31 runs.
The watchful, technically correct Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman took their third-wicket partnership to 43 after tea and Dravid put on 46 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni in the only two meaningful partnerships of the innings.
Laxman scored 16 before a half-hearted prod outside the off stump edged a Collymore delivery to Brian Lara in the slips, the West Indies captain taking the catch inches off the ground.
Yuvraj Singh failed to get going, also falling to the CollymoreLara combination as he edged an expansive drive after he had scored just 13.
Left-arm seamer Pedro Collins picked up his first wicket of the innings when he bowled Mohammad Kaif for six, the ball deflecting off the inside edge of the bat.
Dhoni scored a scratchy 19 before a Taylor delivery squatted on him and whizzed into his stumps.
Anil Kumble, who rose to the occasion in the first innings by scoring 45 in a 93-run partnership with Dravid, was with his captain at the close on two not out.
Dravid had struck 11 stylish boundaries in his 46th test half-century and had faced 130 balls, defending stoutly but also dealing aggressively with any loose deliveries as he put India in a strong position to record their first series win in the Caribbean since 1971.
The West Indies were earlier bowled out for 103, with Harbhajan destroying the lower-order with five for 13 in 4.3 overs.
Scoreboard
(At close on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test between India and the West Indies on Saturday)
India, 1st Innings: 200
West Indies, 1st innings
Chris Gayle b Sreesanth 0
Daren Ganga lbw b Harbhajan 40
Brian Lara c Jaffer b Sreesanth 26
Marlon Samuels st Dhoni b Kumble 2
Shiv' Chanderpaul c Dhoni b Patel 10
Dwayne Bravo bac Yurja b Harbhajan 0
R Sarwan c Kaif b Harbhajan 7
D Ramdin c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 10
J Taylor run out 6
Collins c Sehwag b Harbhajan 0
Corey Collymore not out 0
Extras (nb1, w1) 2
Total (all out, 33.3 overs) 103
Fall of wickets:1-0. 2-42, 3-53, 4-72, 5-80, 6-81, 7-88, 8-99, 9-103.
Bowling: Sreesanth 9-3-34-2, Munaf Patel 12-5-24-1, Anil Kumble 8-3-32-1, Harbhajan Singh 4.3-0-13-5.
India second innings
Wasim Jaffer c sub (Morton) b Taylor 1
Virender Sehwag lbw b Taylor 4
VVS Laxman c Lara b Collymore 16
Rahul Dravid not out 62
Yuvraj Singh c Lara b Collymore 13
Mohammad Kaif b Collins 6
Mahendra Dhoni b Taylor 19
Anil Kumble not out 2
Extras: (3lb, 1w, 1nb) 5
Total: (for six wickets) 128
Overs: 49.
Wickets fell at: 1 1, 2 6, 3 49, 4 63, 5 76, 6 122.
To bat: Anil Kumble, Habrhajan Singh, Shantha Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.
Bowling: Pedro Collins 19 7 56 1 (nb1), Jerome Taylor 10 3 28 3, Corey Collymore 16 5 31 2, Dwayne Bravo 4 1 10 0 (w1).
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa), Brian Jerling
(South Africa).
Referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}