3rd Test: India v West Indies at Kolkata, 30 Oct-3 Nov 2002 CricInfo Live Report

3rd Test: India v West Indies at Kolkata, 30 Oct-3 Nov 2002
Anand Vasu

India 2nd innings: Lunch - Day 4, Tea - Day 4,
Live Reports from previous days

TENDULKAR STANDS TALL
The period between lunch and tea was one of consolidation for India. From 51/3 India inched their way to 141/4 at tea. The only wicket that fell was that of Sourav Ganguly, and Sachin Tendulkar took charge of proceedings for his part, from his end. India have just taken a nominal lead of two runs.

Very early in the session Ganguly fell. Bowling over the wicket to the left hander, Cameron Cuffy got a delivery to pitch just a fraction outside the leg stump and Ganguly was rapped on the pad. The ball did not straighten at all and would have certainly missed the off stump. Nevertheless umpire Asoka de Silva saw it fit to send the Indian captain packing for 16.

From then on Tendulkar took charge. A flurry of trademark strokes hammered into advertising hoardings around the ground. None better than that copybook on drive where Tendulkar managed to pick the ball up from just outside the off stump and punch it back past the bowler to the on side. At tea, Tendulkar was on 83, closing in on his first Test ton at the Eden Gardens.

VVS Laxman, unbeaten on 16, is keeping Tendulkar company.

WEST INDIES MAKE STRONG ADVANCES IN MIXED SESSION
As many as eight wickets fell in the first session of the fourth day’s play. India’s spinners helped the hosts claw their way back into the game reducing West Indies from 446/5 to 497 all out. India, responding to a deficit of 139 reached 51/3 at lunch. This game is wide open, with West Indies hoping for the best.

Sourav Ganguly opened the bowling with Virender Sehwag and watched in dismay as the first ball was creamed to the cover fence. Just two balls later however, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (140 runs, 258 balls, 17 fours, 1 six) cut a long hop straight to Harbhajan Singh at point.

Twenty-one year old Marlon Samuels cracked his maiden Test century but was out soon after. Samuels (104 runs, 183 balls, 10 fours) poking at a ball from Harbhajan only managed an edge to the on side that Sehwag snapped up sharply.

The tail then folded up meekly. Anil Kumble snapped up Darren Powell (0) and Jermaine Lawson (5) albeit with some help from umpire Asoka de Silva who upheld an lbw shout that would have certainly slipped down the leg side.

Harbhajan ended with 5/115 and West Indies were all out for 497.

In response, India got off to the worst possible start as Sanjay Bangar edged the first ball of the innings – delivered by Merv Dillon to Chanderpaul at third slip.

Virender Sehwag then cracked two handsome boundaries in a seven-ball ten before a clever bit of thinking cleaned him up. Planting a fielder at leg slip, Dillon dug a delivery in short on the pads. Taking the bait Sehwag glanced and the ball landed in the fielder’s lap.

Rahul Dravid, batting beautifully on 17 was cut short once again for no fault of his. When he inside edged Darren Powell onto his pads the loud shout for lbw was upheld by umpire de Silva. A shocking decision, and ironically, almost an action replay of the one David Shepherd handed Dravid in the first innings.

Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on 23, while Ganguly, fresh to the crease had one to his name when lunch was taken.