Bravo’s fifty and rain spoil India’s victory hopes

Jul 03, 2011 Sports

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As Windies hold on for a draw

By Sean Devers in Barbados
In association with Digicel,
Carib Beer & Queensway

Set 281 to win from over two and a half sessions and at least 83 overs, West Indies, led by an attractive 73 from Darren Bravo and assistance from the rain, held on for a draw on the final day of the second Test at Kensington Oval yesterday to head to Dominica with the series still alive with India leading 1-nil.
In brilliant sunshine, India lost overnight batsmen VVS Laxman (87) and Virat Kohli (27) along with Skipper MS Dhoni as 29-year-old Fidel Edwards bowled with pace and hostility to capture his ninth five-wicket haul (5-76) as the visitors declared at 269-6. Laxman, who hit eight fours from 263 minutes and 188 balls, added 78 with Kohli (27) before Edwards separated the pair in the day’s second over before India declared after batting for 66 minutes.
The 22-year-old Bravo stroked eight fours from 174 balls and 274 minutes while Carlton Baugh hit a cameo unbeaten 46 from 95 balls and 99 minutes with five fours and a six in a sixth wicket partnership of 69 as West Indies ended on 202-7 when the Umpires called off the game at 17:49hrs.
Pacer Inshant Sharma had 4-53 to take the
Man-of-the-Match award for India who are yet to win a Test in Barbados.
An inside edge to fine-leg past Adrian Barath’s leg stump got West Indies’ reply going while three boundaries from Lendl Simmons, including a similar shot, suggested the home team were pressing for a win.
But in reality an aggressive start is the ‘modus operandi’ of the T&T pair regardless of the situation. It was not surprising when Simmons (14) sparred at Sharma and was taken at first slip at 14-1.
Ramnaresh Sarwan began with a glorious boundary behind point and on a ground where his last Test innings produced 291 against England in 2009, hopes were high that something special was about to unfold.  But the Indians were soon celebrating at 27-2 when a beauty for Kumar ‘got big’ on Sarwan (8) and was edged to slip to extend the right-hander’s run without a Test fifty to 18 innings.
Bravo’s first scoring shot took 16 balls but the dismissive flicked boundary showed why it is predicted that once he works on shot selection, he will be a future star.  If Bravo’s style reminds many of Brain Lara, a thumping square-cut for six off pacer Abhimanyu Mithun just before Lunch from Barath was all Gus Logie, the former T&T and West Indies batsman.
By Lunch Bravo was on five, Barath 23 and the hosts 51-2, still 230 runs away from a series leveling victory.    Barath, who hit three fours and six in his 27, was taken at slip off Sharma and at 55-3 as West Indies batsmen were again showing their inability to bat for long periods.
Sharma had Bravo on his knees with a quick in-ducker which crashed into his protective box. But with the ‘old head’ of Chanderpaul at the other end to keep him focused, the Indians knew that this was a crucial partnership.
Bravo drove Sharma with a hint of impetuosity down the ground for four and smashed him disdainfully to the cover boundary while Chanderpaul, a veteran of 132 Tests, took 76 balls to get into double figures.   Chanderpaul only played at deliveries he had to while Bravo offered the Indians hope with his flashy but at times loose drives.
By Tea Chanderpaul had contributed 12 to the 53-run partnership while Bravo was 45. The hosts were on 108-3 and victory 173 away.
In the first over after Tea, Chanderpaul was leg before to Harbhajan for 12 at 109-4. Chanderpaul’s innings was as exciting as watching paint dry but his occupation of the crease for 114 minutes and 87 balls was as valuable as Guyana’s Gold to his team surviving the day.  Chanderpaul’s wicket was a fantastic gift for Harbhajan who celebrates his 31st birthday today but has struggled to attain his usual high standards in this series.
Samuels, with fifties in both of his Tests since his come back, gloriously cut Sharma for four before being trapped leg before next ball for nine at 132-5.  Bravo reached his fifth fifty in his seventh Test and an imperial off-drive by Bravo was breathtaking. Baugh slashed Harbhajan for four and swept him for six off consecutive balls.
Baugh struck Sharma for three consecutive fours and with 100 needed for victory from at least 20 overs, the fans were again interested.  But rain halted the contest at 16:30hrs just when things were heating up with the sixth wicket stand worth 49 from11.3 overs.
Play restarted after 30 minutes but three deliveries after the resumption, India complained about the wet ground and another 15 minutes were used to take off the excess water.
Once again Bravo threw his wicket away when he was caught behind with a tame dab off Kumar at 201-6 and Sammy, whose miserable run with the bat continued when he fell for a duck to leave West Indies wobbling on 202-7.
Bad light then ended the contest with the 45 minutes lost yesterday and the time Chanderpaul spent at the crease playing crucial roles in West Indies saving the match.
Earlier, India resumed on 229-3 and Kohli, dropped from India’s team to face England next month, was caught at second slip off Edwards at 234-4.
Suresh Raina and Laxman took India to 247-5 before Edwards had Laxman caught at second slip as the right-hander, who began the day on 72, fell 13 short of his 17th Test century.
Edwards peppered the batsmen with short balls while Ravi Rampaul bowled impressively from the other end and Skipper MS Dhoni (5) fell at 256-6 as India tried to accelerate.
Without the threat of Chris Gayle at the top of the order, the declaration was made at 10:36hrs after India scored 40 runs and lost two wickets from the 66 minutes and 13 overs in the morning session.
The final match starts on Wednesday as Dominica host a Test for the first time and Sammy’s team will hope for a win to level the series.
Scores: India 201 (Laxman 85, Raina 53, Rampaul 3-38, Bishoo 3-46, Edwards 3-56) and 269 for 6 decl. (Laxman 87, Dravid 55, Edwards 5-76) drew with West Indies 190 (Samuels 78*, Ishant 6-55) and 202 for 7 (Bravo 73, Baugh 46*, Ishant 4-53).

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