Indians go one up

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo shared a valiant 39-run stand for the last wicket. However, in the end it was not enough as the West Indies went down to a 63-run defeat to India on day four of the first Digicel Test at Sabina Park yesterday.

The West Indies, set 326 to win and resuming on 131-3, succumbed to the bowling of fast bowlers, debutant Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, who grabbed three wickets each, and were bowled out for 262, much to the delight of the Indians who now hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The second Test, which will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, will begin next Tuesday.

Needing 195 runs to win with seven wickets in hand, the West Indies began the day hoping that at least one of their top-order batsmen would have come good, and with the support of their middle to lower order bat well enough to pull off a surprise victory.

That, however, did not materialise, as thanks to smart and aggressive bowling from Kumar and Sharma, the Indians came out on top.

First to go was overnight batsman Darren Bravo who, after resuming on 30 and looking to put in a big one, was bowled behind his back by Kumar for 41 with the score on 148.

The out-of-form Brendan Nash then came to the crease, but before he and the other overnight batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul could settle and build a partnership, the latter chipped a well-pitched-up ball by Kumar into the hands of Suresh Raina at extra cover with the score on 149. Chanderpaul added just six to his overnight 24.

Carlton Baugh Jr, who over the past three innings has shown glimpses of his potential, did not last long. He had faced just four balls when he became Harbhajan Singh's first and only victim when he padded up to a delivery and was caught bat-pad for nought with the score on 150-6.

This opened the door for captain Darren Sammy to perform some heroics with the bat, as he did with the ball in India's second innings. However, after a colourful start in which he hit Singh for three straight sixes in the first over he faced, he became Amit Mishra's second victim of the innings when he chipped an easy catch to VVS Laxman.

Sammy made 25, and it left the score at 181-7 and the West Indies 145 runs in arrears.

The last three men fought gallantly but the task proved too difficult.

India 1st Innings 246

West Indies 1st Innings 173

India 2nd Innings 252

West Indies 2nd Innings

(overnight 131 for three)

A. Barath c Raina b Kumar 38L. Simmons b Sharma 27R. Sarwan c Kohli b Sharma 0D. Bravo b Kumar 41S. Chanderpaul c Raina b Kumar 30B. Nash lbw b Mishra 9+C. Baugh c Kohli b Harbhajan Singh 0D. Sammy c Laxman b Mishra 25R. Rampaul c wk Dhoni b Sharma 34F. Edwards not out 15D. Bishoo b Raina 26Extras: (b1, lb13, w2, nb1) 17Total: (all out; 68.2 overs) 262

Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Barath), 2-63 (Sarwan), 3-80 (Simmons), 4-148 (Bravo), 5-149 (Chanderpaul), 6-150 (Baugh), 7-181 (Sammy), 8-188 (Nash), 9-223 (Rampaul), 10-262 (Bishoo).

Bowling: Kumar 16-3-42-3, Sharma 17-3-81-3, Mishra 13-1-62-2, Harbhajan Singh 16-3-54-1, Raina 6.2-1-9-1.

Result: India win by 63 runs.

Series: India lead three-match series 1-0.

Man of the Match: Rahul Dravid.

Toss: India.

Umpires: I Gould, D Harper.