Better Show By Windies, But Advantage India

The second day of the Mumbai test started with Tendulkar and Dravid at the crease. If West Indies were to have any hope of staying in the match, Tendulkar's was the wicket they wanted. The master batsman was on 34 and in ominous form on his home ground. The stage, seemingly, was set for another dominant innings from his punishing blade.

If that was the script the crowd in Mumbai hoped the game would follow, Mervyn Dillon caused them huge disappointment by removing Tendulkar after a mere three runs had been added to the overnight score. Beginning the day's proceedings, Dillon seemed to find an extra yard of pace, and immediately seemed a different bowler. As Dillon bent his back, Jacobs found the ball fairly thudding into his gloves, the slip fielders were brought to their their toes and the batsmen felt the pressure.

A perfect delivery in the corridor saw Tendulkar drive off the backfoot. Extra pace and bounce in the delivery saw it take a thin edge on the way through to Jacobs. Tendulkar, who plays the game in exemplary spirit, walked before the umpire raised his finger.

Collins opened with Dillon, and was posing a few problems himself. In a rather surprising move, Hooper replaced him with Cuffy rather prematurely. While the motive for the move by Hooper was not obvious, it met with immediate success, as Cuffy made a delivery move from the left hander Ganguly's leg to middle stump. Ganguly was caught in front. Though he didn't seem happy with the decision, it seemed a fair one.

If the fall of these two key wickets in quick succession showed anything, it was that pace presents a challenge to even the best batsmen, on even a lifeless track. Dillon will do well to remember this the next time he has the choice between bowling within himself or letting himself go. Similarly, there was also an indication or two about what difference the presence of Powell or Lawson would have made. The team management will do well to consider reinforcing the attack with atleast one genuinely quick bowler for the next test.

Dravid and Laxman set about consolidating India's position. Dravid played some scintillating shots, including some exquisite cover drives. He is a batsman of rare technique and temperament in today's international cricket, where the preponderance of oneday cricket has largely robbed batsmen of the ability to grind opposing attacks down. Wear down the West Indian attack Dravid did, with the assistance of Laxman, who displayed his trademark timing.

In what has become a measure of opposing teams' concern about the Indian batting, Nagamootoo emulated England's Ashley Giles by bowling a very negative line. The Indian batsman, especially Laxman, responded with dour defense and occasionally, brilliant footwork, which resulted in some inside-out drives to the offside. After a long partnership, Laxman succumbed to this line when he overbalanced and allowed Ridley Jacobs to pull off a smart stumping.

Dravid continued on, and reached his century with a flick towards midwicket. This innings, as valuable as any he has played in his career, marked his fourth consecutive century in as many innings. If Dravid is always considered the lynchpin of the Indian attack, his importance when in this form can only be imagined.

Then, Lady Luck, whose demeanour towards the West Indies on the first day had been all frowns, suddenly smiled on the West Indians. Dravid retired hurt with a cramp in his right hamstring. A sad end to a fine innings that did not look like it could be terminated any other way.

Harbhajan Singh arrived at the crease and departed immediately, caught behind off Cuffy. The affection between Harbhajan and Cuffy was obvious, though it was not quite at the peak it was during India's tour of the West Indies earlier this year.

Nagamootoo, who had been pushing the ball through too quickly all through the day, suddenly started giving it more air, and had the new man Kumble caught shortly after. This was followed by a very well directed flipper, which found Zaheer Khan palpably in front. Nagamootoo was on a hattrick, and could be forgiven for thinking he had Srinath leg before first ball. However, the umpire Ashoka De Silva negated the appeal, just as he did to an equally obvious caught behind off Bangar on the first day, Nagamootoo being the sufferer on that occasion as well.

Inspite of the declined appeal, India had slumped from 401-4 to 408-8. Then came the finale which is all too familiar to West Indian fans in recent times, Srinath chanced his arm and prospered in the company of the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. The score climbed quickly, and India found themselves reaching 450 after all. Finally, with the score at 457, Srinath was dismissed, and West Indies found themselves up against a sizeable total, something that seemed on the cards since the very beginning
of the test match.

West Indies began their reply needing to score 258 to avoid having to follow on. Soon after, Chris Gayle played around his pads to a delivery from Zaheer Khan and departed to leave the West Indies on 7-1. His opening partner, Wavell Hinds looked solid, but seemed to be getting stuck in a defensive groove. He took 21 deliveries to get off the mark. It seems to be a feature of Wavell Hinds batting that when he starts briskly, he goes on to get runs, and when he gets bogged down, he often gets out cheaply. The latter was to happen here as Hinds edged a delivery from Harbhajan onto his pads, to be snapped up by forward short leg.

At the other end, Sarwan was looking supremely confident, and it will be on his shoulders that a lot of responsibility for the West Indian innings will rest. Sarwan has the ability to pile up a big score, and here at Mumbai, has the stage and occasion for it as well. On a pitch that is still largely playing true, how well Sarwan will take his opportunity, along with Hooper, Chanderpaul and Ryan Hinds, will determine how this test, and possibly how this series will turn out for the West Indies.

The task of batting a day should not be beyond any test team, but will the West Indies rise to the occasion at the Wankhede stadium? Tomorrow will tell.