'Sir Carl� Holds Court at ARG

It was a scene that had become as familiar as any in this series.


Carl Hooper thrusts his bat into the air. A beaming broad smile on his face, he turns to hug Shivnarine Chanderpaul, then head bowed, he stoops down in silent thanksgiving for another century completed. The adoring thousands at Bourda and Kensington Ovals had seen him do it, and yesterday afternoon, it was the turn of the folks at Antigua Recreation Ground to witness first hand the rebirth of ?Sir Carl?.

It was not that Hooper?s third century of this Cable and Wireless Test series?136 (401 minutes, 13 fours, three sixes)?was flawless. It was far from that. But at no time in his previous 14 years in international cricket have West Indians seen Hooper so prolific and in such an unrelenting mood. Finally, his cup runneth over.


Yesterday?s ton was his 13th overall. It was made yet again largely in the company of the equally driven Shivnarine Chanderpaul (80 not out, 357 minutes, 12 fours) and it delivered West Indies from more potential strife, to safety. At 405 for 5 entering the last day today, not even one of their domino-like lower-order collapses is likely to prevent the second draw of the series. Anything less, would be like a cruel slap in the face of Hooper. So long the puzzle his people could not put together, he has now become easier to read since to his sublime talent, he has added a reassuring certainty of purpose.


Yesterday?s effort gave him back-to-back centuries in this rubber. The knock also took him over the 500 aggregate mark for the first time ever and kept his series average at well over 100. All of this was achieved in spite of four lucky escapes. Let off two balls in succession Sunday evening by an Anil Kumble no-ball and a dropped slip catch, Hooper escaped again yesterday and rode his luck superbly. On 85, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly could not hold his stinging straight drive. And in the last over to tea, when he was on 109, the short midwicket fielder could not cling onto his firm flick off Sachin Tendulkar.


Forced to do the brunt of the spinning in the absence of the injured, India-bound Anil Kumble, the ace batsman found himself on the wrong end of some serious stick. Two of Hooper?s three sixes were lashed off him. The first, a flat off-driven hit that smacked the advertising boards under the Richie Richardson Stand on the full, came in Tendulkar?s first spell of the day. Switching from his teasing leg-spin of Sunday to off-spin, Tendulkar had begun the attack along with Zaheer Khan with the home team on 187 for 3.


It was to be the first of several spells for the duo. Without the inspiration of Kumble, Ganguly strove manfully to keep his bowlers fresh and challenging on a pitch that nearly made them sweat blood. Khan had raised false Indian hopes with his early dismissal of Ramnaresh Sarwan, LBW playing across the line. Sarwan had added just one to his overnight 50.


Chanderpaul now came in, a crisis waiting to emerge. But for the third time in this series, he and Hooper saved the day. Their stand of 186 was not quite the epic like their stands of 293 in Guyana and 215 in Barbados. But once more, India were thwarted by runs, runs and more runs. Perhaps this is what it must have been this way in the time of the Three Ws. Hooper, playing his shots from the start took the lead. ?Chanders? though, despite some deft cutting was less dashing than previously. While he collected 33 runs between lunch and tea, only 19 came in the final session. As has often been his habit, he seemed to lose his touch, especially after Hooper was caught at point, backing away trying to lash Tendulkar away again. Ridley Jacobs (18 not out) though eased the pressure on him. He counted a no-nonsense straight drive off seamer Ashish Nehra and a big six into the Richardson Stand off Tendulkar (30-4-94-2).


No collapse here. It was the least he could do for the skipper.


* SOURCE: Trinidad Express.