Left: India's middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif plays a slashing shot during his undefeated knock of 148 against the West Indies, on Day Two of the second cricket Test at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia yesterday. Right: India's captain Rahul Dravid celebrates scoring his 23rd Test century, on the second day of the second Test match against the West Indies yesterday. Dravid scored 146. - DELLMAR PHOTOS
GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (CMC):
A DOUBLE-strike by fast bowler Munaf Patel and leg-spinner Anil Kumble's key capture of captain Brian Lara put India in command against West Indies on the second day of the second Digicel Test at Beausejour Stadium yesterday.
After India amassed a record 588 for eight declared, their highest Test score in the Caribbean, they reduced West Indies to 65 for three at stumps.
Their imposing total was helped by centuries from captain Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif that followed Virender Sehwag's big hundred on the first day and their success with the ball was instigated by Patel's removal of Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan in successive balls.
The tall fast bowler claimed both right-handers with balls that cut back in the 10th over of the West Indies' response and India took a firm grip of proceedings when Kumble won an lbw decision against Lara as the top batsman prodded forward to a straight ball to be dismissed for seven.
SOUND START
Opener Chris Gayle initially played aggressively, but batted soundly after the clatter of wickets to end the day unbeaten on 34 in the company of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is on five.
India's position of dominance was set up by Dravid's 146 and Kaif's undefeated 148, the pair continuing to bat solidly after resuming on 361 four.
It set them on the way to go past India's previous highest total in the West Indies - 521 for six declared in the first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Dravid, who was 95 at the start of the day, completed his 23rd Test century 15 minutes into the morning and Kaif, resuming on 20, reached a maiden Test hundred shortly after lunch.
The pair put on 179 for the fifth wicket after linking up at 306 for four midway into the final session on the first day.
Dravid fell in the final over before lunch when he slapped a wide long-hop from occasional leg-spinner Sarwan to Lara at point. He batted for 347 minutes, faced 234 balls and struck 16 fours.
Kaif, who played a number of attractive strokes off the front foot, occupied the crease for five-and-a-half hours, faced 243 balls and hit 12 boundaries.
After scoring 124 runs in the pre-lunch session, India also enjoyed a productive pre-tea period in which they added 99 runs and lost two wickets. The two wickets to go down in the session were wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni (9) and Irfan Pathan (19).
Dhoni fell the first ball after a 12-minute stoppage for bad light when he was caught at point attempting to drive Ian Bradshaw in the left-arm seamer's second over of the day.
Off-spinner Chris Gayle, who did not bowl on the opening day, removed Pathan, who also fell to a catch at point.
A LIFTING DELIVERY
The final wicket to go down was that of Anil Kumble, who chopped a lifting delivery from fast bowler Jerome Taylor 15 minutes after tea.
Left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins, who was the pick of the West Indies bowlers on the opening day when he achieved his 100th Test scalp, was wicketless yesterday and finished with four for 116 off 28 overs.
The other successful bowlers were Gayle (1-52), Bradshaw (1-80), Sarwan (1-83) and Taylor (1-88).
Kumble's dismissal was greeted by a declaration from Dravid and the India bowlers maintained the grip of the match after suffering a brief flurry from Gayle at the start.
The left-hander smashed six boundaries off 63 balls, while Chanderpaul chose to defend for 40 minutes to ensure the hosts lost no further wickets.
About 25 minutes of playing time was lost due to a combination of bad light and rain.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA 1st Innings (overnight 361 for 4)
W. Jaffer c Bravo b Collins 43
V. Sehwag c and b Collins 180
VVS Laxman c wkp Ramdin b Collins 0
R. Dravid c Lara b Sarwan 146
Yavraj Singh b Collins 2
M. Kaif not out 148
+M. Dhoni c Ganga b Bradshaw 9
I. Pathan c Ganga b Gayle 19
A. Kumble b Taylor 14
Extras (b4, lb7, w4, nb12) 27
TOTAL (8 wkts dec'd - 148.2 overs) 588
Fall of wickets: 1-159, 2-161, 3-300, 4-306, 5-485, 6-517, 8-588.
Did not bat: M. Patel, VRV Singh.
Bowling: Collins 28-5-116-4 (nb1), Taylor 24.2-4-88-1 (nb6), Bravo 10-0-66-0 (w1), Collymore 21-1-92-0 (nb3), Bradshaw 26-6-80-1 (nb2), Sarwan 18-0-83-1 (w2), Gayle 21-6-52-1 (w1).
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
C. Gayle not out 34
D. Ganga lbw Patel 16
R. Sarwan lbw Patel 0
B. Lara lbw b Kumble 7
S. Chanderpaul not out 5
Extras (nb3) 3
TOTAL (3 wkts - 25 overs) 65
Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Ganga), 3-36 (Sarwan), 3-55 (Lara).
To bat: D. Bravo, +D. Ramdin, I. Bradshaw, P. Collins, J. Taylor, C.
Collymore.
Bowling: Pathan 6-0-35-0, Patel 8-3-20-2, Kumble 7-3-10-1 (nb3), VRV Singh 2-2-0-0, Sehwag 2-2-0-0.
Umpires: Simon Taufel, Asad Rauf. TV replays: Steve Bucknor.
Match referee: Jeff Crowe.
