|
Dravid hammers 144 as rain halts play
for day
Georgetown,
April 14:
Rahul Dravid salvaged India's batting pride with a
brave 144 not out on a rain-curtailed fourth day of the opening Test
against the West Indies here on Sunday.
His 10th Test
century ensured that India would not lose the match as the tourists
avoided a follow-on to reach 395-7 in reply to the hosts' 501 when
play was called off due to rain with 52 overs to go before the draw of
stumps.
The
middle-order batsman shared a record 120-run stand with tail-ender
Sarandeep Singh, who batted 165 minutes for a defiant 39 not out to
compile his highest score in three Tests.
Their
partnership was India's highest for the eighth wicket against the West
Indies in 71 Tests, the previous best being 107 between Yashpal Sharma
and Balwinder Singh Sandhu at Kingston in 1982-83
India faced a
follow-on when they were reduced to 275-7 after resuming at 237-4, but
Dravid received valuable support from Sarandeep who had batted for
four runs in his only Test innings before this match, now heading for
a draw.
The tourists
went past the follow-on mark of 302 in the second hour, with Dravid
straight-driving paceman Mervyn Dillon for a boundary.
While Dravid
maintained his reputation as one of the most successful Indian batsmen
away from home, Sarandeep exceeded expectations with his gutsy knock
under pressure.
Sarandeep, who
joined the team as a replacement for injured off-spinner Harbhajan
Singh, thwarted the West Indies with his resolute batting. He hit just
one four in his 119-ball knock.
Dravid has
scored six of his 10 Test hundreds abroad, this being his first
against the West Indies. This was also his first in 14 matches since
an unbeaten 180 against Steve Waugh's Australians at Calcutta in 2001.
Dravid, 57
overnight, completed his hundred with an aggressive shot when he
flicked debutant paceman Adam Sanford for a four. He looked
unstoppable thereafter, dominating the West Indian attack with
attractive strokes.
The
29-year-old continued to bat steadily after being struck on the grill
of his helmet by a Dillon delivery when on 59 in the morning session,
hitting 23 fours in his 345-ball knock to pull his team out of
trouble.
The tourists
needed 32 more runs with four wickets in hand when the last specialist
batsman, Sanjay Bangar, was trapped leg-before for no score to become
Cameron Cuffy's second victim.
New-ball
bowlers Cuffy and Dillon both tried to unsettle the Indian batsmen
with short-pitched balls, but Dravid kept his end intact to steer his
team past the follow-on mark in Sarandeep's company.
Cuffy rattled
India with two wickets in as many overs to enhance his team's chances
of enforcing the follow-on, dismissing Venkatsai Laxman (69) and
all-rounder Bangar in the space of seven runs during his incisive
spell.
Laxman, 46
overnight, completed his 11th half-century with an off-driven four off
Dillon, but did not last long as he edged Cuffy to first-slip Chris
Gayle after sharing a 119-run stand for the fifth wicket with Dravid.
Anil Kumble
contributed just three before uppishly driving Sanford to gully where
Mahendra Nagamootoo dived to his left to bring off a low catch.
While Laxman
executed some handsome strokes early in the morning session, Dravid
took time before going for his shots.
Dravid had
only tail-enders to give him company when he began counter-attacking,
hitting Sanford for two fours in an over and then driving Cuffy for
another boundary to ease the pressure on his team.
The West
Indian pace attack lost much of its sharpness after early successes as
Dravid batted confidently to rescue his team with a timely hundred.
|
