India win by an innings and 15 runs !

Yadav clean bowled Chanderpaul for 47 and now the WI are 278/4, trailing by 202 runs behind India. It ended the 108 partnership by Bravo and Chanderpaul for the fourth wicket.

If India can get rid of Darren Bravo, now on 89, she has a chance to pull it off. Everything depends on Darren Bravo for the West Indies. He is now joined by Samuels.

Chanderpaul inside edged a fiery Yadav delivery onto his stumps. Bravo is still Windies hope and is on his way to a well compiled century.

At 0950 AM, the century partnership was achieved, as Bravo and Chanderpaul kept the aggressive Indian bowlers at bay. Dhoni is not exactly worried but Windies may take the match to the fifth day. WI 262/3.

At 0855 AM, IST, Bravo brought up a decent Test fifty but it was sad to see an empty stadium such a feat. WI 217/3.

After playing a masterly innings, Darren Bravo departed after scoring 136. He was held in the slips by Dravid off Ojha and the West Indies lost the last six wickets for 62 runs. Six overs after Ojha removed Bravo, Ashwin removed Samuels lbw for 84.

Sammy hit three sixes in an aggressive belligerent mood, showing defiance. Dhoni turned to Yadav and the fast bowler obliged by removing Sammy and Bishoo off successive deliveries and the game was over. WI all out for 463 and India winning by an innings and 15 runs.

Unorthodox spinner Sunil Narine and top order batsman Jason Mohammed were the surprise selections for the West Indian ODI squad to meet India in the five ODIs starting from Nov 29. Bishoo and Fidel Edwards have been rested. While Narine was the star of the Championship League, Mohammed was the star in the Regional Super 50 Limited Overs competition. He scored 227 runs in the domestic season.

VVS Laxman is the Man of the Match for his 176 not out. When Samuels and Bravo were going strong, it looked good for the Windies. But once Bravo fell, India came back into the match strong.

The Ojha Dravid combination were responsible for the wickets of Bravo and Baugh. Low catches were snapped up by the greatest cather in Test cricket against the well tossed up deliveries of Ojha.

At lunch, the Windies were 339/4. He did what Brian couldnt in India - a century.

India declare at 631/7

Three masterly hundreds, by Laxman ( 176*), Dhoni ( 144 ) and Dravid ( 119 ) saw India amass a mammoth 631.

The WI bowlers could do nothing against the three centurions ( Can we call them the Three Musketeers ? )who blasted them them to all parts of the field. Dhoni hit five sixes and Dravid and Laxman were as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.

The West Indies are 34/2, with Umesh Yadav capturing the wicket of Barath and Ashwin accounted for Brathwaite. The West Indies need 432 to avoid following on and it seems an uphill task against the wiles and guiles of Ashwin, Ojha, Ishant and Yadav ! Anyway, let us watch and see.

Indian batting proved to be formidable with three Test players scoring scintillating hundreds and the West Indian bowling lacked penetration. Windies bowlers could not take all Indian wickets and it seems it is Fortress India in India. One wonders whether it is the same Indian team which got routed in England. But then the Indian bowlers are different, and the Indian batsmen are freed from injuries. !

West Indies are now all out for 153 and will be following on. They lasted only 48 overs and the blistering speed of Yadav and the tantalising spin of Ojha and Ashwin did them in. It is interesting to note that Bishoo bowled 45 overs and WI lasted only 48 overs !

It was Umesh Yadav who struck first, removing Samuels and Bravo who could have proved ominous for India.


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Smith and Amla score centuries

Graeme Smith and Amla scored glorious hundreds to power SA to a great victory over the Kangaroos. Australia never thought that they will be so humiliated, even after their batting capitulated for 47 all out.


SA take a 1-0 lead in the Test series. When Siddle was hit through midwicket by Smith, SA had won the game by eight wickets.

SA became the second team in the world to win a Test, after being bowled out for less than 100 in their first innings.

Gone are India's chances to make it to the No 2 spot in Test rankings. We had envisaged an Australian dominance and and Indian dominance, for India to make it to the No 2 spot.

The second Test at the Wanderers start after six days.

23 wickets fall on Day 2

SA seems to be in the driver's seat in this Test, as 23 wickets fell like nine pins on Day 2.

Australia were all out for 284, with Clarke scoring a brilliant 151. SA were bowled out for 96, with Harris taking 4-33 and Watson 5-17.

Then Australia were bowled out for 47, with Philander taking 5 for 15 and Morkel 3-9.

SA are 81/1, needing 155 runs to beat Australia ! Anything can happen, as the wicket seems to be a fast bowler's Paradise.

Australia's last wicket ensured that they did not hit the record books for the lowest total in Test history. They were 21/9 and the last pair ( Siddle and Lyon ) added 26 runs to take Australia to 47. The lowest total record is 26, by NZ against Eng in Auckland in 1955. Australia's all time low was 36 against Eng in Birmingham in 1902.

Amla and Graeme Smith batted with care and the Proteas seem comfortably placed at 81/1. Smith on 36 and Amla on 29 now battle it out with the Kangaroos.

Debutant Vernon Philander took 5-15 and Morkel 3/9 on a pitch which offered plenty of seam movement than on the first day.

Clarke on 107 was helped by Siddle (20) in the first innings, as the Kangaroos added 70 runs to their overnight total of 214. The value of Clarke's innings shone like gold, as Watson in a devastating spell, captured five wickets for 17 runs to rattle the Proteas and make them all out for 96.

Australia's collapse for 47 was dramatic, as it was all over in 18 overs. There were three ducks in the Aussie innings, as Ponting, Haddin and Hussey went back to the pavilion without scoring.

To make the day more dramatic, Amla was dropped of the last ball, off Harris, when Hussey could not hold a slash at backward point.

Clarke scores century

A valiant century by Clarke saw Aus at 214/8, after Dale Steyn threatened to rip through the Aussie batting line up.

The Kangaroos were 40/3, as Steyn devastated with some genuine fast bowling. Clarke scored 107 not out and Steyn starred with 4/31.

Shaun Marsh was the only other batsman who brought in a touch of respectability, scoring 44.

Greame Smith won the toss and sent Aus in to bat and his decision was justified as Steyn struck some lethal blows and the Kangaroos were tottering at 40/3.

The Proteas could not get the wicket of Michael Clarke, who played a glorious innings of 107 not out. He still represents Aussie hope.,

Sachin proves his critics wrong !

There has been criticism in some quarters that the Master Blaster had not played any matchwinning innings, despite his 99 tons in international cricket.

He proved it wrong with a classic 76. He found an able partner in Laxman (58*) and India won the First Test by five wickets.

He may not have scored his 'ton of tons' but clearly it was a matchwinning knock. His tenure at the crease tormented the West Indian bowlers.

Sachin and Laxman were involved in a 71 run partnership which sealed the fate of the Test. Sachin brought up his 62nd half century and all eyes were on him as Laxman hit boundaries after boundaries. But then he misread a Bishoo delivery and was adjudged lbw.

On the other side, Dravid could only add one run to his overnight total of 30. When Sachin was dismissed, India needed only 43 more to win. Yuvraj and Laxman took the score to 254/4 at lunch and India had already plundered 102 runs in the pre lunch session. Then Laxman completed his 55th half century in the post lunch session. Yuvraj continued his bad patch, run for 18!


Ashwin was delighted about his effort and now he is in a happy mood to marry, having established himself in the Indian team as an ace spinner. Said he at the post presentation ceremony. "It's a pleasing effort. I expected to get a few wickets but not so many. I don't know if it's gift for me and my wife before the marriage but it is a very happy feeling to go into my wedding with such a performance".

"It helped that Ojha was bowling so many maidens from the other end. The batsmen did not have the fear of being caught at bat-pad, which is not the best thing for spinners."

"The only thing was the variation in bounce, if you were slower through the air, you would be slower off the pitch. So I bowled a bit quicker in the second innings," said the master carrom ball bowler.

Dhoni was ecstatic.

"That was a big lead, We all felt we did not bat the way we should in the first innings but it was not like panic. We said we will have to make it up. Ojha bowled well in the first innings, Ashwin has got a few variations and he was supported by the other bowlers.

"We got a good start in both innings, and the middle order did well in the second. It was not an easy wicket to score, you had to be aware of the ball that kept low" said the maverick Indian captain.

Sammy said you can only learn via Trial and Error.

"When you play against a top team, you want to create the opportunity to win, we did that in the first innings but did not bat well in the second and that cost us. The pitch played much better on the third and fourth days.

"We want improvement, we have to look to create opportunities and hopefully cash in. We believe we can win matches here" said the demon all rounder.

Test delicately poised !

India needs 124 runs, WI needs 9 wickets within 124 and that is the equation for this Test.

Well, cricket has been defined as a game of glorious vicissitudes and it was proved true yesterday as Ashwin six for brought India back into the match. Pulverising shots by Sammy and Chanderpaul saw WI set India a challenging total of 276, but then Sehwag's brilliant strokeplay seemed to torment the Windies. But then Sammy got the wicket of Sehwag, bringing WI right back into the game. Fortunes fluctuated. But then the Wall ( 30 * ) and Sachin ( 33*) stalled the West Indians with the game hanging delicately in the balance !

Batting fourth is not something desirable and everything depends on Bishoo et al. Let us see whether the ball or the bat will predominate. It will be better to say that India is on the cusp of registering a grand victory !

Cusps can be dangerous and with only Yuvraj, Dhoni and Laxman as recognised batsmen to come, loss of some early wickets can spell doom. Pessimism always raises her ugly head. If Bishoo can strike form as Ashwin did, it can difficult for India.

But India has the greatest run assimilators on the crease. Sachin crossed 15 K runs yesterday and is partnered by the second largest run getter in Tests. They had put on an unbroken 57 run partnership, after a devastating 55 from V Sehwag laid the foundation to chase the 276 run target set by Sammy and Co.

After scoring 15 K, Sachin requires another 67 to register a century of centuries. Can he do it on a turning track? He had done it on turning tracks before. All eyes will be on the Little Master when he takes guard tomorrow morning.

India can pip SA to second position in Tests, if they can beat WI 3-0 and if the Proteas lose to formidable Australia 0-2 in the two Test series. SA is only ahead of India by just one rating point. England is placed first and Australia 4th.

If India wins all the three Test, they can get 119 points. A 2-0 series win will leave India with 118 rating points. while a 1-0 or 2-1 will keep them on 117 rating points.

And a 0-1 series loss against Australia will leave SA on 112 points and a 0-2 series defeat will leave the Proteas to join Australia on 110 rating points. SA will be ranked higher than the Kangaroos when the rating are calculated beyond decimals.