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News Letter
Wed May 15 2002
Issue No: 62

Antigua Test meanders to tame draw

Cricket can be a cruel game. And, on the odd day, it can even be a farce. The final day of the fourth Test match was, in all honesty, more fun and games than serious cricket. The West Indies amassed a mammoth 629 for nine before the game, not unexpectedly, petered out to a draw. Along the way, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (136 not out), Ridley Jacobs (118) and Carl Hooper (136) all helped themselves to hundreds. Hooper was the first to the milestone, getting his third hundred of the series on the fourth day which had begun with the news that Anil Kumble was at last flying home to have his fractured jaw operated upon. The West Indies skipper’s 186-run fifth wicket partnership with Chanderpaul ensured that any hopes that the Indians had of winning the Test were firmly squashed. All that awaited the tourists was further misery with Chanderpaul and Jacobs also joining the list of century-makers of the final day. Jacobs also had the satisfaction of sharing a new world-record with his Indian counterpart, Ajay Ratra - his ton meant that this Test provided the first instance of both wicket-keepers scoring hundreds.

Ganguly: If Anil was around we would have made a match of it

The Antigua Test provided the result it always was expected to a high-scoring draw. One man the Indians dearly missed was their injured leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who had to fly home for surgery on the fourth morning. This after the third evening had seen one of the most moving acts of courage witnessed on a cricket field, when Kumble, with his face trussed up in bandages, bowled 14 overs and claimed the prize scalp of Brian Lara. Indian captain Sourav Ganguly naturally rued his loss.

"We missed a spinner on this pitch," Ganguly said. "If Anil was around we would have made a match of it. I never expected the wicket to break like this. But we couldn't do much with the injury Anil had."

"He was 20 percent fit and the way he bowled those 14 overs was amazing. You could see that there was something in the pitch for the spinners," he continued.

Zaheer Khan, who claimed two wickets, was the lone Indian quick to leave an impression on the match. Both Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra struggled on a pitch that offered no assistance to them.

"It was a lot of hard work for the quicks," the Indian skipper observed. "I thought all the three fast bowlers bowled their heart out. It was not an easy wicket, but they kept on running in and bowling. I think it is a very encouraging sign for a captain to see his bowlers perform like this in the heat on a placid wicket."

Ganguly also heaped praise on debutant centurion Ajay Ratra and opener Wasim Jaffer, who made 86. "Jaffer looks a quality player," he said.

Vivian Richards' second innings

Sir Vivian Richards is all set to start another innings - as a politician. The Prime Minister of Antigua, Lester Berd, broke the news recently and Richards confirmed it. The next elections in Antigua are due in 2004, and according to the existing rules, Richards has to make it to the Senate regularly for experience in legislative proceedings. Only then can he file his nomination. Berd wants to make him a Senator. “Richie Richardson is already there, and if Viv joins us, our party will be stronger. It will be great to have a cricketer of his stature among us," said Berd. Richards will run for the ruling Labour Party here, and if he decides to join politics, he will be the third West Indian cricketer from the side between 1970 and 1995 to do so. Besides Richards, Desmond Haynes is to join as a Senator in Barbados shortly.

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Mohammad Azharuddin, on this day in 1999, became the third captain - after West Indian Clive Lloyd and Pakistani Imran Khan - to lead his country to three World Cup tournaments. The Hyderabadi stylist did so in India's first match of the tournament - against South Africa at Hove.

If ever there was a Test of character for the Indian side, the fifth match at Kingson will be it. If India win that deciding Test, they will notch up their first series win in the Caribbean in nearly three decades and their first series win outside the subcontinent in nearly two decades. Can the tourists pull off a famous triumph? Let CricInfo guide you through all five days.

Mail The Editor




Ajay Ratra
Man of the Match
© CricInfo

Who has made the highest individual score in a India-West Indies Test?

Previous Question

Which wicket-keeper other than Ajay Ratra has scored a Test hundred in Antigua?

Answer:Jeff Dujon



"I wanted to dedicate this to all the mothers in the world for Mothers' Day. It may have been a bit late, but I wish all of them well. This one is for my mother." Ridley Jacobs on his Antigua ton

"We obviously want a wicket that will encourage the fast bowlers. We would like a wicket where if you put something, you get something." Carl Hooper, on the pitch for the next Test



"There is a fault with West Indies cricket. It appears that no matter how well an individual performs in regional cricket, he fails to perform at the Test level." Carl Nisbett


After England against Australia in 1884 and Australia against Pakistan in 1979-80, India became the third side to use 11 bowlers in a Test innings.

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