Hooper, Chanderpaul feast on limp Indian attack again

St. John's (Antigua), May 13: West Indies skipper Carl Hooper completed his third century in four matches against India as the fourth Test headed for a draw here on Monday.

The 35-year-old smashed 136 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul an unbeaten 80 as the West Indies avoided a follow-on to post 405-5 at stumps on the fourth day in reply to India's 513-9 declared at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs was unbeaten on 18, including a six over long-on off part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar.

The West Indies needed 118 to avoid a follow-on before the last pair of specialist batsmen, Hooper and Chanderpaul, put on 186 for the fifth wicket to ensure their team would not lose the match on a batting pitch.

This was the pair's third big partnership for the fifth wicket in four Tests, following a record 293 in the opening match at Georgetown and 215 in the third at Bridgetown.

Hooper also completed 500 runs in a Test series for the first time in his 96-match career during his 13th hundred, which came off 278 balls with the help of three sixes and 13 fours. He has so far scored 556 in five innings.

The 27-year-old Chanderpaul needed 11 more to complete 400 in the series, having struck 12 fours in his 268-ball knock.

The West Indies crossed the follow-on mark of 314 just after Hooper had raced to his hundred with a couple of lusty blows in the afternoon session.

He hoisted medium-pacer Sourav Ganguly over long-on for his second six and then drove past the bowler for a four to reach the three-figure mark.

Left-handed Chanderpaul was also the batsman in form, having already scored 140 in the first Test and an unbeaten 101 in the third.

India struggled for wickets in the absence of leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who returned home for treatment after suffering a jaw-injury while batting on Saturday.

The 31-year-old spinner looked the most impressive bowler when he returned to bowl 14 tidy overs in the closing session on Sunday and removed Brian Lara for four, but took no further part in the match.

India skipper Ganguly had to resort to 19 overs of off-break and leg-spin from Tendulkar, but failed to keep pressure on Hooper and Chanderpaul.

India appeared to be going through the motions in the later part of the day as left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan bowled a couple of overs of spin from one end and Tendulkar from the other before tea.

Tendulkar broke the fifth-wicket partnership after the main bowlers had failed to deliver when he had Hooper caught by Ashish Nehra in the covers in the last session.

Hooper and Chanderpaul steadied the innings after the early dismissal of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was trapped leg-before in Zaheer's second over of the morning.

Sarwan could add just one to his overnight score of 50, yet again failing to convert his half-century into a hundred. He hit six fours in his 155-ball 51, his third half-century in five innings.

There was no stopping Hooper, who attacked a depleted Indian attack to steer his team to safety as the hosts added 79 in the morning session and 74 in the afternoon after resuming at 187-3.

Hooper struck the first six of the day when he lofted Tendulkar over long-off and then pulled and drove Zaheer for two boundaries. His third and last six also came off Tendulkar.

The second new ball, taken at 241, failed to produce the desired results as Hooper and Chanderpaul continued to bat confidently against the Indian seamers.

Fast bowlers Javagal Srinath and Nehra both went wicketless, while Tendulkar and Zaheer shared the two wickets that fell this day.