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Hooper and Chanderpaul hammer career best scores
Georgetown, April 12:
West Indies skipper Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hammered
their career-best scores in a record stand to flay the Indian attack
in the first Test here on Friday.
Hooper smashed a sparkling 233 for his maiden Test double-century,
while Chanderpaul scored 140 as the West Indies batted aggressively to
reach 494-7 when bad light stopped play with 21.3 overs to go on the
second day.
The West Indies captain and Chanderpaul reminded the tourists that all
was not well with their bowling with a 293-run stand, the West Indies'
highest for the fifth wicket in 71 Tests against India.
The previous best was of 219 between Everton Weekes and Bruce
Pairaudeau at Port-of-Spain in 1952-53.
It was also the biggest fifth-wicket partnership against India in
Tests after 254 between Englishmen Keith Fletcher and Tony Greig at
Bombay in 1972-73.
It was an ordeal in the field for the Indians as neither seamers nor
spinners could put pressure on free-stroking Hooper and Chanderpaul
Hooper cracked three sixes and 29 fours in his 413-ball knock to
surpass his previous best of 178 not out against Pakistan at Antigua
in 1992-93.
He reached his double-century with a flicked four off spinner
Sarandeep Singh just before tea. He was the last man out, swinging
leg-spinner Anil Kumble to deep square-leg where Sarandeep brought off
a diving catch.
The left-handed Chanderpaul also matched his skipper as he bettered
his previous highest of 137 not out against Sachin Tendulkar's Indians
at Bridgetown in 1996-97.
He also completed 3,000 runs during his attractive third Test century,
smashing 23 fours in his 292-ball knock before being trapped
leg-before by left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan in the post-lunch session.
Hooper also prospered on the Indian attack to lead a remarkable West
Indian fightback after three wickets had fallen for 44 on Thursday.
A capacity crowd at Bourda enjoyed the run-feast on a batting wicket
as Hooper and Chanderpaul reduced the Indian bowlers and fielders to a
state of helplessness with a wide range of attacking shots.
The hosts scored 91 in the morning session after having resumed at
270-4 and 93 in the afternoon.
India failed to make the most of the two chances that came their way
to break the fifth-wicket stand.
The first came in the morning session when Chanderpaul edged Kumble on
94, but lone-slip Venkatsai Laxman reacted late as the ball went past
his outstretched hand for a four.
He was on 118 when he survived a run-out chance. He collided with
bowler Sachin Tendulkar while going for a single and lost his bat in
the process, but dived full-length to beat a Sourav Ganguly throw to
the wicket-keeper.
Chanderpaul,
27, completed 3,000 Test runs in style when he vigorously cut India's
most successful bowler, Javagal Srinath, for a boundary early in the
morning session.
He reached his second Test hundred against India when he flicked
Kumble to deep mid-wicket for three runs, kissed the pitch and went on
to dominate the tourists' bowling
The West Indian batting was entertaining throughout the day as the
Indian bowlers often erred in line and length and found it difficult
to contain runs.
Srinath was not as effective as he was on Thursday, when he rocked the
hosts with three quick wickets in his lively opening spell.
Zaheer bagged two of the three wickets that fell in the day, but not
before Hooper and Chanderpaul had put their team in a position of
strength.
Key Indian spinner Kumble was punished by both Hooper and Chanderpaul,
conceding 140 off 43 overs for one wicket.
Sarandeep went wicketless, while Bangar disappointed as a third seamer
as he gave away 61. |
