Sports India

The Indians, following up on their first-innings 200, skittled the West Indies for 103 - their lowest ever score against india. Then, led by Dravid’s second half-century of the match, 62 not out, India reached 128-6 - a second-innings lead of 225 with four wickets still standing

Whatever happens from here, it means the West Indies will have to make by far the biggest score of the match when they return to the crease if they are to win the game and by extension, their first Test series since beating lowly Bangladesh in the Caribbean two seasons ago.

This, on a pitch that yesterday was as challenging for batsmen as it was on the first day, with some deliveries popping and spitting from a length, while a few stayed low.

In setting up the crucial 97-run first innings lead, India’s bowlers were led by the turbaned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who sliced through the middle- and lower-order West Indies batting in just 4.3 overs, taking 5-15.
Harbhajan was completing a job started by the seamers S Sreesanth (2-34), Munaf Patel (1-24) and wrist-spinner Anil Kumble (1-32).

For the West Indies, only Daren Ganga with 40 and skipper Brian Lara, 26, who looked in good form before falling to a length-ball kicker from Sreesanth, seemed to have the goods to handle the varied Indian attack on the untrustworthy pitch.

Then, despite another fine performance by 22 year-old pacer Jerome Taylor, who closed the day with 3-28, and Corey Collymore, 2-31, Dravid - as he had done in the first innings - held India together to ensure their advantage at day’s end.
The elegant and technically efficient Dravid, who became the sixth batsman to go past 9,000 Test runs during yesterday’s knock, has so far hit 11 fours in his 130-ball stay and rarely looked troubled despite the difficult conditions.

As was the case in the first innings, the 33-year-old Indian champion came to the crease with his side stumbling at 6-2 after Taylor, cheered on by the small but enthusiastic gathering on hand despite the pull of the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, struck twice.

First, Wasim Jaffer (1) was miraculously held one-handed by Marlon Samuels soaring to his right at gully. Then Virender Sehwag (4) was trapped leg-before on the backfoot by one that flew through at half stump height.
VVS Laxman (16) stayed with his skipper in a stand of 43 before falling to Collymore - his edge to a loose drive well taken low down by Lara at second slip.

Lara would follow up with his 159th Test catch, placing him second in the all-time (non-wicketkeeper’s) list when the left-handed Yuvraj Singh (13) edged Collymore for a comfortable waist-high offering.
Mohammed Kaif (6) inside-edged a loose drive against left-armer Pedro Collins onto his stumps at 76-5.

MS Dhoni (19) further extended India’s lead in partnership with Dravid before Taylor returned for a second spell to hit middle and leg stump with another delivery that kept worryingly low.
Anil Kumble, who heroically supported Dravid in the first innings, will resume with his captain today unbeaten on two - intent on doing it all over again.

Earlier, the West Indies batting debacle started with the fourth ball of the morning. Chris Gayle, misjudging the line completely, lost his offstump to S Sreesanth’s length delivery, swinging back in towards the left-hander.
Lara, walking at No 3 because Ramnaresh Sarwan was nursing a knee injury sustained while fielding on the opening day, shared 42 for the second wicket with a composed Ganga.

The West Indies captain, looking good and anxious to dispatch anything loose, had hit five fours in 40 balls when a Sreesanth delivery on or around offstump, kicked sharply from a length and left the batsman helpless. The sharply lifting delivery hit the shoulder of the bat and possibly glove as well to lob Wasim Jaffer at third slip.

There was a non-stop procession after that. Samuels (2), drawn forward by Anil Kumble, missed his forward defensive stroke and was smartly stumped by MS Dhoni as the right-hander’s backfoot dragged over the line.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 10 before edging Patel’s wide delivery through to ‘keeper Dhoni at 72-4.

Ganga lifted the spirits of West Indians with elegant boundaries through midwicket and mid-on off Kumble. But when he perished on the stroke of lunch, trapped leg-before as he played back and across the line in Harbhajan’s first over, everyone knew the West Indies would be conceding a big lead to the visitors.

How big a lead was soon apparent as Harbhajan’s generous turn and bounce ran through the lower order like a hot knife through butter.

With those in the temporary media enclosure striving to simultaneously watch cricket as well as the tense penalty shoot-out between England and Portugal, Dwayne Bravo (0) was caught bat/pad as he pushed forward to Harbhajan.

Sarwan (7), batting with a runner, hit out against the off-spinner for Kaif to take the skied catch at midwicket.
Denesh Ramdin (10) gave another bat/pad catch to Yuvraj Singh at forward short leg.

Taylor (6), who pushed the West Indies past 100 with a clubbed boundary back past Patel, was run-out as an inattentive Collins failed to respond to his call and the latter then hit a catch to long on to hand Harbhajan his fifth wicket.

Such was the disappointment of the West Indies supporters in the George Headley Stand, boos rang out as Collins and Collymore (not out 0) made their way to the dressing room with the triumphant Indians in their wake.

Scoreboard

INDIA 1st Innings 200 (R Dravid 81; J Taylor 5-50)

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

C Gayle b Sreesanth 0
D Ganga lbw b Harbhajan Singh 40
B Lara c Jaffer b Sreesanth 26
M Samuels st Dhoni b Kumble 2
S Chanderpaul c wkpr Dhoni b Patel 10
D Bravo c Yuvraj Singh b Harbhajan Singh 0
R Sarwan c Kaif b Harbhajan Singh 7
D Ramdin c Y Singh b Harbhajan Singh 10
J Taylor run out (Sehwag) 6
P Collins c Sehwag b Harbhajan Singh 0
C Collymore not out 0
Extras (w1, nb1) 2

TOTAL (all out) 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; Patel 12-5-24-1 (w1); Kumble 8-3-32-1 (nb1); Harbhajan Singh 4.3-0-13-5. Overs: 33.3

INDIA 2nd Innings

W Jaffer c (sub) Morton b Taylor 1
V Sehwag lbw b Taylor 4
V Laxman c Lara b Collymore 16
R Dravid not out 62
Y Singh c Lara b Collymore 13
M Kaif b Collins 6
M Dhoni b Taylor 19
A Kumble not out 2
Extras (lb3, w1, nb1) 5

TOTAL (for 6 wkts) 128

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-6, 3-49, 4-63, 5-76, 6-122.
Bowling: Collins 19-7-56-1 (nb1); Taylor 10-3-28-3; Collymore 16-5-31-2; Bravo 4-1-10-0 (w1). Overs: 49
Position: India lead by 225 runs with four second innings wickets standing.

Umpires: R Koertzen, B Jerling
TV Replays: N Malcolm, Reserve: C Fletcher
Match Referee: J Crowe.