Raina (82), Harbhajan (70) stage Indian recovery

Jun 21, 2011 Sports

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By Sean Devers in Jamaica
In association with Digicel, Western Union,
Queensway and Jamaica Pegasus

Edwards (4-56) make successful return

Sixteen overs of quality fast bowling from Fidel Edwards (4-56) on his return to Test cricket and a century partnership between Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh highlighted the opening day of the first Test between West Indies and India at Sabina Park yesterday.
Edwards, in his first Test since 2009 was supported with the new ball by Ravi Rampaul (3-59 from 18.2 overs) as India recovered from 85-6 to reach 246 all out.
Raina hit 15 fours in his 82 and added 146 for the sixth wicket with Harbhajan who clobbered 10 fours and a six in 70 from just 73 balls and they were especially severe on Bishoo, who at one stage had 3-15 from four overs before finishing with 3-75 from 11.
By the close the West Indies, with just one defeat in 10 Tests to India at this ground, were 34-1 after Lendl Simmons (4) was taken at short leg off Ishant Sharma at 18-1.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has two tons including his unbeaten 261 on this ground, joined Adrian Barath who looked to be positive against the spin of Harbhajan and Mishra, who both surprisingly extracted plenty of turn and bounce from the first day track as a cluster of fielders lurked around the bat.
Barath, in his first Test since last year in Sri Lanka was unbeaten on 26 with three fours and Sarwan on two.
Under a clear blue sky, West Indies who left out Marlon Samuels and Kemar Roach, were asked to field by India on a good track with a little preparation moisture.
Abhinav Mukund, one of three debutants in the Indian side, got his first Test runs in an inauspicious fashion when he inside edged Edwards to the fine leg boundary.
Murali Vijay, with two fifties and a century from nine Tests, drove Rampaul elegantly through mid-off for four before being comprehensively beaten off the next two balls.  He then drove Rampaul ‘on the up’ to Bishoo at point to bring the experienced but ‘out of touch’ Rahul Dravid to the crease.
Edwards bowled with pace and showed no signs of his back injury while Rampaul got early lateral movement off the seam.
The 38-year-old Dravid, with 150 Tests and 31 tons under his belt, looked scratchy while Mukund was very watchful against the new ball.
Watched by a spattering of fans, Mukund (11) had his leg stump plucked out by Rampaul at 30-2 and on the opening day of the first Test ever to start on a Monday in the Caribbean, Rampaul had removed both openers as India missed regulars Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Saywag.
Dravid and VVS Laxman, India’s most experienced pair joined forces as Skipper Darren Sammy replaced Edwards and after hitting Laxman on the glove with a ‘back-of-a-length’ ball that bounced, was cut for four off the next ball as the Indians battled hard against disciplined bowling.
Dravid and Laxman shared century partnerships against West Indies twice in 2002 at Bourda and Mumbai and again in 2006 in St Kitts but yesterday they should have been separated at 49-2 when Laxman, then five, was dropped by Rampaul off Edwards 25 minutes before Lunch.
Bishoo, made it 64-3 when, with his first ball, he had Laxman (12) caught at slip to a ball that turned away from his loose half-drive.
Virat Kohli, who played in the 2008 under-19 World Cup in Malaysia when Guyanese Steven Jacobs played for West Indies, managed just four on debut before he edged Edwards to the Keeper on the stroke of Lunch as India slipped to 64-4.
After the interval Dravid spanked Bishoo for two boundaries but the Guyanese spinner had the last laugh when Dravid who hit seven fours in his 40, edged a drive to slip to leave India on 83-5.
One-Day Skipper Raina and his Test Captain MS Dhoni joined forces with their team in strife and Bishoo, in only his third Test, had Dhoni taken at gully for a duck as India collapsed to 85-6.
Harbhajan dominated the early stages of his partnership with Raina and cut and swept Bishoo for consecutive boundaries before a crunching square-cut reached the boundary like a bullet in the next over from Edwards. Raina stroked Bishoo gloriously through extra cover for consecutive boundaries while successive hooks off Rampaul by Harbhajan collected boundaries as the partnership flourished.
The 50 stand was posted in just 27 minutes from 37 balls as Raina also looked to be positive and pulled Bishoo for four.
Harbhajan clobbered Sammy down the ground and pulled him for fours in the same over and for the first time in the day, the West Indies were pushed on the back foot as the 150 was posted. Harbhajan, who has two Test centuries, soon reached his ninth fifty at this level from 45 balls with calculated hitting, while the 24-year-old Raina reached his third Test half-century with two magnificently executed off drives for fours off Sammy.
On a pitch getting better for batting, West Indies looked deflated and Raina brutally hammered Bishoo for successive fours, while Harbhajan lofted the Albion spinner into the stands two balls later in the final over before Tea.
At Tea India were 219-6 with Raina 70 and Harbhajan 67 and their partnership worth 133 runs.    Bishoo held a stupendous catch off Edwards to end the 156-run stand when he sprinted about 60 yards and dived full length to hold the stunner and end the innings of Harbhajan at 231-7.
Praveen Kumar struck Rampaul past his ankles for four with his first shot in Test cricket but was soon leg before to Edwards at 236-8 as West Indies fought back.
Bravo has not been the best catcher in recent times and yesterday he put down Raina on 80 off Rampaul at 243-8, running back from mid-off, while Edwards produced a nasty bouncer which Amit Mishra (6) fended to first slip.
Sharma arrived with India 246-9 and Raina on 82 and Rampaul ended the innings when Raina pulled a bouncer for Bishoo to take his third catch at deep square leg.
At the start of the day West Indies would have readily accepted 246 all out but from 85-6 they would have been disappointed how they handled the sixth wicket onslaught mentally and know they have a big job ahead of them today.
Scores: West Indies 34 for 1 (Barath 26*, Sarwan 2*) trail India 246 (Raina 82, Harbhajan 70, Edwards 4-56, Rampaul 3-59, Bishoo 3-75) by 212 runs.

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