Timid Windies Give India Upper Hand

The West Indies began day three of the Mumbai test needing to bat out a day, if not more, in order to put together a sizable total in response to India's 457. The day commenced with Sarwan and Dillon at the crease, with the former, on the evidence of the previous day, looking willing and able to lead the West Indian charge.

On this day, however, one could be forgiven for mistaking Sarwan for an English batsman. Against the spin of Harbhajan and Kumble, with whom India commenced proceedings, Sarwan was completely crease-bound, and time and again, tried to use his pads as a first line of defense. Why a batsman who has the footwork and ability to play spin would resort to such tactics is beyond comprehension. It would be no exaggeration to say that Sarwan and the nightwatchman Dillon at times looked equally uncomfortable against the Indian spinners.

Predictably, Sarwan was dismissed soon after. As one saw him needlessly go on the backfoot to Harbhajan and especially Kumble, it was obvious that he would have to be extra careful with the flipper. Sure enough, Kumble bowled one and Sarwan was pinned plumb in front. There was some artificial suspense injected into the decision by Ashoka De Silva who took an eternity to give Sarwan out, but there was not a semblance of doubt about the decision.

Dillon took the attack to the spinners to the best of his limited ability. He hit Harbhajan back over his head and also lifted Kumble into the crowd for a massive six. The festivities were not to last, however, as Srinath returned to bowl Dillon with a delivery that held it's line. Dillon had done more than his part both in his role as nightwatchman on the second day, and in frustrating the Indian bowlers on the third morning.

At the other end, Chanderpaul was his compact and tidy self. He got himself into the groove in customary fashion, with runs coming mainly off nudges and placements. Striding out to join Chanderpaul on the occasion of his hundredth test was Carl Hooper. Clearly, if the West Indian first innings was going to have any semblance of respectability, this pair would have to play a major role.

For a time, it seemed as if a major partnership was in the making. Hooper played some vintage shots, including a hook off Zaheer Khan and a lovely offdrive off the same bowler. Shortly thereafter, Hooper also contrived to come up with a vintage Hooper dismissal. An obvious trap was set, with fine leg on the fence after which Khan bowled Hooper a bouncer. The resulting hook went straight to Bangar, and arguably the most valuable West Indian wicket was needlessly gifted away.

Ryan Hinds was the next batsman, and he was lucky not to be dismissed first ball. He was trapped in front shortly thereafter by Zaheer. In the limited time he spent at the crease, one wondered if Hinds was yet ready for the test arena, leave alone being a replacement for Brian Charles Lara. However, there is still some cricket left in this game, and Hinds may yet vindicate the faith placed in him.

Jacobs was trapped by a slower ball from Zaheer, and the West Indian innings was soon in familiar stormy waters. None of the batsmen, other than Chanderpaul, really merited any mention. Not only did they look outclassed in a cricketing sense, but their approach was very timid.

Certainly playing spin, especially on assistive pitches and supported by enthusiastic close-in fielders is an art unto itself, but judging by the trepidation displayed by the batsmen at times, one could be forgiven for thinking that Harbhajan and company were tossing grenades down the pitch.

Surely, to a batting lineup with experienced campaigners like Hooper and Chanderpaul, it must be obvious that one cannot push and prod all day, when there are fielders all around the bat? Had one or two batsmen played attacking innings, the Indian captain would have been forced to reinforce the outfield, and spinners are always less effective when their close in cordon is weakened. Sadly, none of the West Indian batsmen made much of an attempt to force Ganguly to move his fielders to run
saving positions.

The West Indian innings closed at 157, and India promptly enforced the follow-on. One wonders if the Indian cause would not have been better served by batting again and rattling up 175 or so before asking the West Indies to bat last, chasing a huge target.

As the West Indian second innings resumed, Wavell Hinds was scarcely recognisable as the batsman who took 29 deliveries for his single run in the first innings. For an hour, it was calypso cricket all the way, as Hinds tore into the Indian attack. Srinath was taken for three fours in one over, and the effect of the strokeplay on the Indian bowlers was a study in contrast to the effect the tentative West Indian batting had in the first innings.

The score raced to 60, with Hinds on 40 off 33 deliveries when Hinds missed a delivery from Harbhajan and was bowled behind his legs. Gayle and Sarwan, batting in a much more positive frame of mind, saw through the rest of the day with West Indies on 91 for the loss of one wicket at close.

At this point in the game, India holds all the aces. West Indies are still 209 runs behind, and more often than not, they have failed to score that many runs in an entire innings in recent memory. Still, the attacking innings played by Hinds has shown that runs can be scored on this pitch. Should the rest of the West Indian batting follow suit, and should India be forced to chase any sort of decent target in the last innings, this match may still retain some competitive interest.

As day dawns in Mumbai for the fourth day's play, Hooper's men have yet another opportunity to decide whether a West Indian resurgence will be reality, or whether it will remain in the fantasies of West Indian supporters.