India Struggle to 73-7
Sat, Apr 27, '02
(reprinted from BBC Sports)
India continued to struggle as they slumped to 73-7 on the second
day of their tour match against a Busta XI. The tourists face the
follow-on after their opponents made an impressive 437.
The Indians need 215 more runs with three wickets in hand to make
the hosts bat again, with Dinesh Mongia unbeaten on 25 and
tail-ender Sarandeep Singh on one.
Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine triggered the Indian collapse,
grabbing 3-15 off 15 overs.
Fast bowlers Pedro Collins, Darren Powell and Kerry Jeremy shared
three wickets to keep pressure on the batsmen from the other end.
The tourists went into the match looking for an opening partner for
Shiv Das ahead of the third Test, but hopefuls Wasim Jaffer and
Deep Dasgupta both failed to enhance their claims.
Jaffer, the only specialist opener in the squad besides Das, was
trapped leg-before by Collins for a duck in his first tour match.
Dasgupta contributed seven before being bowled by Ramnarine with
one that turned and kept a bit low.
Earlier, wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs exposed the Indian spin
bowling with an unbeaten 55 to stake his claim for the third Test
against the tourists, starting in Barbados on 2 May.
The Busta captain hit one six and six fours in his 63-ball knock as
the Indian bowlers failed to restrict the home team despite taking
the last five wickets for 56 runs.
Fast bowler Tinu Yohannan was the highest wicket-taker with
three, but proved expensive as he conceded 84 in 19.2 overs.
Medium-pacer Bangar (2-92), leg-spinner Anil Kumble (2-112) and
off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (2-58) also failed to contain runs as
Wavell Hinds and Jacobs dominated an under-strength Indian attack.
The left-handed Hinds made the most of a mediocre Indian attack as
he added 35 brisk runs to his overnight 140 before being bowled
sweeping Harbhajan.
He dominated the Indian bowling on a good wicket during his
entertaining 227-ball knock, smashing four sixes and 23 fours, and
adding 53 for the third wicket with Runako Morton (33).
Morton also never looked in trouble against the Indian spin,
hitting five boundaries before being caught sweeping Harbhajan by
Yohannan at fine-leg.
Kumble got his second wicket of the innings when he held a low
return catch to account for Ryan Hinds (10).
Jacobs then batted aggressively to help his team cross the 400-mark
with a 47-run stand for the sixth wicket with Gereth Breese (15).
* Reprinted from BBC
Sports.