Uphill task for Windies

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

The West Indies will first have to bowl and then bat with a great degree of accuracy and effectiveness if they are to avoid going down 1-0 in their three-match Digicel Test series against India at Sabina Park.

The Indians, who began the series as the world number-one ranked Test nation, demonstrated why they are overwhelming favourites to win, when, led by 3-29 from fast bowler Ishant Sharma and 3-38 from his new ball partner, debutante fast bowler Praveen Kumar, who were able to bowl out the West Indies for 173 on yesterday's second day.

This was 73 runs short of their first innings total of 246.

Batting a second time, the Indians closed the day on 91-3 for an overall lead of 164 runs heading into today's third day with 38-year-old Rahul Dravid not out on 45, and another debutante, Virat Kholi, unbeaten on 14.

Late hope

The West Indies were given some hope in late afternoon when Indian batted a second time. Murali Vijay fell leg before to Ravi Rampaul for a duck with the score on one and, after a 55-run stand between Abhinav Mukund and Dravid, two wickets fell for one run. Mukund (25) was caught behind by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh and VVS Laxman went caught and bowled by Darren Sammy for no score. Dravid and next man in, Kholi, settled the innings with a 34-run stand, however, to put their team in a strong position. Play will resume today at 10 a.m.

In trying to avoid defeat, the West Indies will need first innings hero Fidel Edwards, who ended yesterday with second innings figures of 0-27, to come good again with the ball, while for his new ball partner, Ravi Rampaul, the hope will be that he will remain consistent and provide valuable support.

Captain Sammy, who has so far been having a poor match, will also need to lift his game. Sammy ended with 0-42 when he bowled in India's first innings and made just one when the West Indies batted. He then dropped a sitter off Dravid in the slips yesterday afternoon, when the batsman was on six.

With the wicket offering some help to the spinners, Devendra Bishoo, the West Indies' best bowler in recent matches, could be the dangerman. Bishoo has so far taken one for 27 off 12 overs, and he will be the key to the West Indies' hopes of making early inroads into the Indian batting today.

India 1st Innings 246

West Indies 1st Innings

(overnight 34 for one)

A. Barath c wk Dhoni b Kumar 64L. Simmons c Vijay b Sharma 3R. Sarwan lbw b Sharma 3D. Bravo c wkp Dhoni b Kumar 18S. Chanderpaul c Mukund b Harbhajan Singh 23B. Nash c Raina b Kumar 1+C. Baugh c Vijay b Harbhajan Singh 27D. Sammy b Sharma 1R. Rampaul not out 14F. Edwards c wkp Dhoni b Mishra 7D. Bishoo c Raina b Mishra 4Extras (b1, lb3, nb4) 8Total: (all out; 67.5 overs) 173

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Simmons), 2-35 (Sarwan), 3-91 (Barath), 4-95 (Bravo), 5-102 (Nash), 6-147 (Baugh), 7-148 (Sammy), 8-152 (Chanderpaul), 9-169 (Edwards), 10-173 (Bishoo)

Bowling: Kumar 18-5-38-3, Sharma 17-6-29-3, Mishra 13.5-1-51-2, Harbhajan Singh 19-5-51-2.

India 2nd innings

A. Mukund c wkp Baugh b Bishoo 25M. Vijay lbw b Rampaul 0R. Dravid not out 45V.V.S. Laxman c & b Sammy 0V. Kohli not out 14Extras: (b4, nb3) 7Total: (3 wkts; 41 overs) 91

To bat: S. Raina,+M.S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, I. Sharma, A. Mishra, P. Kumar.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Vijay), 2-56 (Mukund), 3-57 (Laxman)

Bowling: Edwards 9-1-27-0, Rampaul 8-2-17-1, Sammy 12-5-16-1, Bishoo 12-2-27-1.

Position: India lead by 164 runs with seven wickets intact.

Toss: India.

Umpires: I Gould, D Harper.