Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
CASTRIES:
THE TOURING Indian cricketers ended the second day of the three-day match against the Busta XI at St. Lucia's new ground in Beausogeau, Grosislet, yesterday on the run and heading for embarrassment.
At the end of a day which saw the Busta XI dominating the morning session with some explosive batting and the afternoon session with some splendid bowling, the tourists were struggling on 73 for seven off 46 overs in reply to the Busta XI's 437.
Confronted with some fine bowling after chasing leather for 104.2 overs, the tourists suffered an early setback when Pedro Collins picked up a wicket in the first over of the innings, and with right-hander Dinanath Ramnarine flighting and dropping his legspinners and googlies on a spot, with pacers Kerry Jeremy and Daren Powell maintaining the pressure from one end and the ball keeping low, they never recovered.
In fact, but for two dropped catches, one by Gareth Breese when Deep Dasgupta, at zero at one for one in the first over, edged Collins to second slip, and one by Jeremy when Dinesh Mongia, at 14 at 44 for four, drove to mid-on, and a stubborn Mongia who was on 25 not out at stumps, it could have been worse.
Bowling from the north and over the wicket, the left-hander trapped Wasim Jaffer leg before wicket for zero at one for one with a delivery that cut back off the seam as the right-hander, playing in his first match of the tour and facing his first delivery, went back defensively.
After that the tourists were under constant pressure and wickets fell regularly with Dasgupta going for seven at 20 for two - bowled by a Ramnarine googly, Shiv Sunder Das for 13 at 20 for three - brilliantly caught by Breese low down at second slip off Jeremy.
Then Sanjay Bangar was run out for one at 40 for four, V.V.S. Laxman for four at 46 for five - bowled by a Ramnarine delivery that never rose an inch after hitting pitch, Ajay Ratra for zero at 51 for six - leg before wicket to Powell, and Anil Kumble for 11 at 72 for seven - caught by Ryan Hinds at gully off Ramnarine who finished with three wickets for 15 runs off 15 overs.
Resuming at 250 for two off 60.3 overs, the Busta XI continued on their merry way and added 187 runs in 193 minutes off 40.5 overs.
Resuming on 140, Wavell Hinds and Runako Morton added 53 in even time before the left-handed Hinds swept at offspinner Harbhajan Singh and was bowled for 175 at 303 for three after stroking 20 fours and smashing four sixes while facing 227 deliveries.
Hinds was followed by Ryan Hinds who stroked a low return catch to legspinner Kumble, and after that the Indian bowlers were lashed by Morton, who stroked five boundaries in scoring 33 before he swept Harbhajan Singh to Tinu Yohannan at backward square-leg, and captain Ridley Jacobs who was left not out on 55 off 63 deliveries.
The left-hander, hunting a recall as the wicketkeeper and the number seven batsman on the West Indies team, hit one six and six fours and was particularly severe on Bangar when the Indians took the second new ball.
In two overs, Jacobs smashed the gentle pacer for five boundaries between mid-wicket and extra-cover.
