Dellmar
India's Sachin Tendulkar cuts during his unbeaten innings of 113 yesterday.Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
PORT OF SPAIN:
THE SECOND Test of the Cable & Wireless series between the West Indies and India at Queen's Park Oval is the one of the five most likely to end in a positive result, because of that, both teams want to win it, the consensus at the start was that either one can win it, and either one could still win it.
At stumps on yesterday's first day, however, India were out in front.
Thanks to a masterful innings from Sachin Tendulkar, who ticked off his 29th Test century with a valiant, undefeated 113, and to a dogged Rahul Dravid, who chalked up his 25th half-century with a fighting 67, India were on 262 for four and looking good, really good - particularly as Tendulkar was still there and threatening to bat for a long, long time, particularly as the dangerous Vangipurappu Laxman is his partners, and probably even more importantly, because the West Indies will be batting last.
Test cricket is sometimes dull and boring. Some days, however, it is packed with so much action and so much drama that it is thrilling.
Some days the contest between batsmen and bowlers is such that it is gripping, some days the stroke play is such that it is exciting, and some days it is full of so much of everything that there is a feeling of deep regret when the day's play comes to an end.
That was how it was yesterday after the West Indies had listened to the experts on the pitch at Queen's Park Oval, selected an attack of four fast bowlers, won the toss and sent India to bat.
On a day of bright sunshine - a perfect day for what was a battle royal between batsmen and bowlers, the West Indies pacers hit India early, they picked up two quick wickets, although they were too inconsistent, they produced some lovely deliveries and with their fielders coming up with some brilliant diving stops, they tested the skill and the nerve of Tendulkar and Dravid.
With Cuffy getting the ball to cut both ways off the seam, with Adam Sanford bowling with some pace and with Marlon Black testing the batsmen with some good bouncers followed by a few good yorkers, the West Indies bowlers rapped India's top two batsmen on the pads so often and beat the bat so many times that they must have felt that the gods were against them why neither umpire Daryl Harper nor Ashoka DeSilva lifted the finger even once when they appealed for leg before wicket.
In between their discomfort, however, the batsmen, Tendulkar and Dravid, played some lovely strokes; and after tea, after fighting and then getting on top, they played some glorious ones and caned the West Indies pacers.
In fact, like the West Indies bowlers earlier when luck did not run their way, Dravid, the elegant stroke player who by then looked set to emulate his performance at Bourda when he batted undefeated for 144, must also have felt that the gods were against him when he lost concentration, drove loosely at a good length delivery from the persistent Black, and was bowled at 162 for three in the 60th over.
