A SHAMI AND SAHA SHOW AT ANTIGUA
PACER EQUALS RECORD FOR FASTEST 50 WICKETS, KEEPER GETS MOST DISMISSALS IN INNINGS
NORTH SOUND, ANTIGUA: Fabulous spin bowling by R Ashwin and equally poor application by West Indies batsmen gave India a stranglehold on the first Test here on Sunday. Umesh Yadav took a wicket in the first over of the fourth morning before West Indies showed some purpose with the bat through Marlon Samuels, who made 50 after surviving a close call. Their overall resistance, however, wasn’t strong enough as India kept bowling line and length, waiting for West Indies to make a mistake.
Set up by a couple of deliveries that swung in, Darren Bravo was the first wicket to fall for the day after Yadav induced a thick edge that flew to Ajinkya Rahane in the slip cordon. Rahane dived low to get both hands under the ball. Mohammed Shami too could have got a wicket in his first over when Samuels hung out his bat to a delivery that straightened and seemed to touch his glove on its way to Wriddhiman Saha. It was a low catch alright, but Saha claimed it straightaway. The decision was referred but lack of clear replays meant Samuels got the benefit of doubt.
Despite getting a life, Samuels wasn’t ready to go without a fight. He churned out some attractive drives through covers and didn’t allow Ashwin to settle to a rhythm. And when it was time to face Amit Mishra, he lifted him over his head for a boundary through long-on to raise a characteristically flamboyant halfcentury. Before that Rajendra Chandrika looked much more decisive with his shots as he looked to drive anything that came on to his pads.
But his 108-ball innings finally came to an end after Saha took a catch off Ashwin after a little fumble. The ball spun and bounced but having already decided to come down the pitch, Chandrika found himself stuck in no man’s land. Replays were inconclusive but going by the umpire’s decision, the ball might have taken an inside edge before taking a ricochet off the inside of the pad and going through to Saha.
That dismissal signalled the arrival of Ashwin, who was not only producing good spin but also bounce. West Indies batsmen started taking their chances against him, hoping something would come off it. It only helped India’s cause. Jermaine Blackwood cast serious doubts over his place after getting a pair in this Test. Batting at an important position like No 5, Blackwood displayed sloppy judgement on both occasions. Thinking he could read Ashwin’s flight and drive him through on, Blackwood could only get a flick that went to Kohli parked at short midwicket. And Kohli rarely misses a catch.
But the coup de grace was Samuels being hoodwinked by Ashwin. Assuming that he had his stumps covered by leaning forward, Samuels saw the ball pitch just behind his bat and turn almost square to disturb his stumps. Winning from there was just a matter of time as Ashwin quickly disposed of Roston Chase before Mishra trapped Shane Dowrich leg-before.