India v West Indies, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day
November 16, 2011
West Indies 70-1 (2nd innings, playing safely)
West Indies imploded in a fashion not entirely unexpected to get bowled out before lunch and last only 48 overs; Devendra Bishoo alone bowled 45 when India batted. India were expected to enforce the follow-on, but it was not officially confirmed as the last wicket fell exactly 10 minutes before the break.
Spinners were the usual suspects in the morning, but Umesh Yadav struck too, removing the two batsmen who got involved in any sort of partnership, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels. The innings' duration was always going to be determined by how long Shivnarine Chanderpaul stayed at the wicket: MS Dhoni replaced the successful Pragyan Ojha for the sole purpose of bowling to Chanderpaul, and was immediately rewarded. In their current form, that seemed that for West Indies.
From the moment Pragyan Ojha pitched the first ball of the morning in front of leg and missed off, you knew from the evidence from Delhi that the batsmen would struggle. In his third over of the day, Ojha delivered the simple one-two of a big turner followed by the arm ball. Kirk Edwards neither read the arm ball nor came forward, and even though it was a marginal lbw, Edwards' being caught on the crease did him no favours.
Chanderpaul showed more intent, sweeping the second ball he faced for four. Ojha didn't bowl the next over. And it took the replacement Ashwin three balls to trap the big fish in front. Chanderpaul always leaves the lbw open by shuffling across, and it is a huge credit to how he keeps scoring and rarely gets hit on the pad. This time, though, he missed an offbreak that didn't turn as much as it held its line. Caught inside the crease, Chanderpaul provided the umpire no dilemma.
Bravo and Samuels batted positively, doubling the score from 46 for 4 before Bravo played a lazy shot: a push at a ball just outside off, without getting close to the line of the ball. Yadav took the inside edge, and Bravo's stumps were now only semi-furnished. A peach spread-eagled Samuels' woodwork soon. This one shaped like it would swing in, pitched short of a length, hit the seam and then held its line. India were into the tail now, with fewer than 100 on the board.
Darren Sammy hit Ojha for a six but Ojha responded with another flighted delivery. The extra bounce on that took Sammy's edge on the cut. Quick singles have hardly been the thought on the minds of West Indies' batsman, but for some reason Kemar Roach was caught backing up too far to replicate the Gautam Gambhir dismissal from Delhi. Just in case we didn't notice this was some kind of a repeat of a show seen sometime earlier; Carlton Baugh fell lbw trying a big sweep off a full Ojha delivery.
Fidel Edwards swung a few before the end, but all it did was deny India their biggest lead in Test cricket, which continues to be the 492-run difference they managed against Bangladesh in 2007.
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