FOUR DAYS OF DESPAIR, ONE OF JOY!

Just when the fading glow of hope started to vanish completely, there was an unexpected flicker which gave many a reason to believe that Test Cricket has many more innings to come. The third test between India and WI’s was turning out to be a lifeless event, till fifth day came to the rescue and what a day it turned out to be! Well, you talk about drama, suspense or excitement, we witnessed it all.

                         With WI’s batting on 81/2 at stumps on fourth day, there was not much people would have expected from the upcoming day. Ojha, however turned things around when he took the first five wickets leaving the Indies struggling at 112/5. The ball was turning big, and the Indian spinners capitalised on the strip. There wasn't much in it for the seamers as it was evident from the fact that all ten wickets belonged to the spinners. Ashwin after a brilliant performance with  the bat followed it up with four wickets in the 3^rd innings(9^th of the match). India were set a target of 243 with 64 overs left to be bowled.

                        Sehwag got right into the act and a repeat of the famous Chennai test against England was on the cards. Toying with the field en route his 60, India were favourites at the moment. The day had more drama to offer, though. Sehwag fell, Sachin and Dravid followed as India was left in a desperate need for partnerships. Kohli looked determined to get India across the line and till he was on the crease, an Indian victory was the most probable option. However with his departure , four possible outcomes lay before us. The game could have headed in any direction, and it came down to the last over with none other than the performer of the match given a chance to add another star to his credits. What happened next is difficult to explain as India were unable to score 3 runs from 6 balls, giving Darren Sammy a reason to smile.Officially, the match ended in a draw but I would like to believe it was a win for the WI's and a loss for the Indians.                           Despite being adjudged the MoM, deep down somewhere Ashwin would be thinking “ Why did I hesitate to run two?”. Let’s just hope that the public does not remember him for this error, as he was undoubtedly the Player of the Series.

               

YADAV: A BRIGHT PROSPECT

                                                        

A hard fought but in the end a comfortable win at Kolkata ensured that Dhoni would have his hands on yet another silverware this season. It was a combined effort by the team with everyone chipping in to provide India with only their 2^nd Innings victory against the West Indies.VVS Laxman was adjudged the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 176 in the first Innings.

                                                                However, India would have wanted things to go better on the field, as it was just 15 runs that separated India’s win with an innings margin. Darren Bravo deserves much credit for this affair, which saw him with statistics similar to the great Brian Lara. His impressive innings of 136 almost had India  padding up again. Samuels contributed too with a well made 84,before the Indies collapsed losing 4 wickets for just 21 runs. Ojha and Ashwin each picked up two while  Samuels started to entertain the crowd hitting both these spinners to the pavillion. An inspired bowling change from Dhoni gave Yadav his chance to finish with 7 wickets in the match, as it took him only three deliveries to wipe out the tail.

                                                                                Yadav’s brilliant performance with the ball has left many with one question in their mind: Could he be the bowler that could wipe out the tail with much ease? Well, we would have to wait a bit longer before we jump to conclusions, as in the past bowlers have come with much to offer but have left nothing but disappointment behind. With the Australia tour around the corner, Yadav has definitely set his foot on the right track given that a bowler with his pace can prove to be lethal in such conditions. Undoubtedly, a bright prospect for the future, will Yadav live up to the expectations of a billion people remains to be seen.

                                               

                                                       

BOWLER’S DAY OUT

After, the much envied Indian line-up provided us with a remarkable display of batting, the bowlers stepped up to show what they were capable of! West Indies came out with a hope to steady the ship after their opener’s had walked back without troubling the scorekeepers. The Indian bowlers howsoever were in no such mood as they dismissed two more in quick succession leaving them sinking at 46/4. Bravo and Samuels offered some resistance , before the much impressive Yadav broke through their defence leaving the Caribbean’s helpless. After that it was just a matter of time, as the spinners wrapped up the first Innings with the scorecard reading 153, and Ojha finishing with four.

                      An obvious decision to follow on was made by the Indian skipper , which meant the Indies were looking at a huge Inning’s defeat. The young boy from Vidarbha struck early, as he got Brathwaite to edge one to Dhoni. A partnership of 90 odd runs between Edwards and Barath brought back smiles in the West Indies camp, with the two batsmen looking  to finish the day unbeaten. Ishant Sharma  however had other plans. Patience and persistence paid off for the tall fellow as he got Barath to edge one towards Laxman who made no mistake, therby ending the long partnership. The day was drawing closer to stumps, before Sharma struck again removing the other half centurion, giving India a satisfactory close of play session.

                        Tomorrow could well be the day when India closes the 3 match series, taking an unassailable lead. Will Ojha and co. have it easy tomorrow or would the likes of Chanderpaul test India’s patience? Catch the action tomorrow as the fourth day promises to be entertaining and don’t forget to come back as we bring you the end of day’s report at Cardus: Live from the grave!