From Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
Hooper gets another 100 at the Antigua Recreation Ground. - Dellmar
ST. JOHN'S:
FORM batsmen Carl Hooper chalked up a century and Shivnarine Chanderpaul went to within 20 runs of one at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday and barring a miracle that would be the mother of all miracles, sentenced the fourth Test of the Cable & Wireless series to a draw.
With captain Hooper scoring 136 to make it three centuries in the series and 13 in his career, Chanderpaul 80 not out, and the pair of Guyanese batsmen sharing 186 for the fifth-wicket, the West Indies were 405 for five replying to India's 513 for nine declared, and with the match still in the first innings and only today's final day to go, it is, beyond a doubt, destined to end in a draw.
Resuming on 187 for three with Ramnaresh Sarwan on 50, Hooper on 26, and needing another 127 to save the follow-on on a pitch with a dangerous spot on it, the West Indies shook off the early loss of Sarwan for 51 at 196 for four, and with Hooper and Chanderpaul batting to within 13 overs of stumps and denying them another wicket for 75 overs, totally destroyed India's hope of victory.
At Bourda, Hooper, 233, and Chanderpaul, 140, were brilliant while posting a fifth-wicket partnership of 293; at Kensington Oval where Hooper scored 115 and Chanderpaul 101 not out, they were also brilliant while sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 215; and yesterday they were again brilliant as Hooper took his series tally to 546 in five innings at an average of 111.20, Chanderpaul to 389 in five innings at an average of 194.50.
The best way for a captain to win the respect of his team members is to lead from the front and that is exactly what Hooper did yesterday before, with the match dead and buried as far as a positive is concerned, he pulled away, attempted to smash a short delivery from part-time spin bowler Sachin Tendulkar over cover, and skied a catch to Ashish Nehra.
With Sarwan falling leg before wicket when he played across a delivery from left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan in the morning's third over, his last specialist batsman at the crease and the West Indies 118 runs away from saving the follow-on, Hooper moved into the Indian bowling and knocked out of their heads any idea of victory they may have cherished.
Starting with a back foot square-cut, a delicate cut to the thirdman boundary and a savage drive over long-off for six off Tendulkar, Hooper, but for a period after lunch when he and Chanderpaul decided not to give India even a flicker of hope and defended quietly, hooked and pulled, cut and drove, sometimes with his usual elegance, sometimes with awesome power, but always with perfect timing.
Apart from its importance in checking India, it was a lovely display and the fans cheered all 13 fours and all three sixes - especially the one against Sourav Ganguly when Hooper leaned forward and drove the medium-pacer over long-on.
As the partnership flowered in mid-afternoon, the pulsating rhythm of Tradewinds' "Hooper and Chanderpaul" echoed around the ground courtesy of Chickie's hi-fi in the famous "Double Decker Stand", and with Chanderpaul playing his part in denying India and at times matching Hooper's brilliance, with the chorus including" Guyana must combine, Hooper and Chanderpaul", it was a perfect selection for the occasion.
When the left-hander arrived after the fall of Sarwan, another wicket and the West Indies would have been in trouble.
After getting off the mark, however, Chanderpaul eased his right foot down the pitch and drove Khan through extra-cover, and from then on he was solid as a rock and sometimes brilliant.
With Hooper on the go after tea, Chanderpaul sat back, took things easy, and with runs now being of little importance to the outcome of the match, scored only 19runs in a session during which the West Indies faced 35 overs.
Before that, however, he was almost as dashing as he was at Bourda and at Kensington Oval, and although the bulk of his runs came from cuts to thirdman and square-cuts, a front foot drive to long-on off Khan mid-way his innings was just as sweet, just as perfectly timed as the drive through extra-cover.
So far, Chanderpaul, who ticked off his 25th half-century off 158 deliveries with eight boundaries, has so far batted for 357 minutes, faced 266 deliveries and stroked 12 boundaries.
The batting was good - no question about that, the partnership was important for the West Indies, and the fans enjoyed the performance.
With the injured right-arm legspinner Anil Kumble on the way home, however, with India left with three specialist bowlers, and with captain Ganguly forced to turn to himself, to Tendulkar for 20 overs, and to V.S. Laxman and his gentle left-arm spinners, at times it was like taking candy from babies.
With the dangerous spot caused by the bowlers' boot marks at the northern end, with Ganguly starting from the south with Tendulkar and not with one of his two left-arm pacers bowling over the wicket and into the rough and allowing Hooper and Chanderpaul to start confidently, India also probably missed an opportunity to pressure the West Indies early.
Such was the brilliance of Hooper and Chanderpaul that they did not get another one.
SCOREBOARD
India 1st innings
513 for nine declared
West Indies 1st innings
(overnight 187 for three)
R.Sarwan lbw b Khan 51
B.Lara lbw b Kumble 4
C.Hooper c Nehra b Tendulkar 136
S.Chanderpaul not out 80
R.Jacobs not out 18
Extras (b-6, lb-8, nb-5) 19
Total (for five wickets, 162 overs) 405
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-121, 3-135, 4-196, 5-382
Bowling: Srinath 38-18-52-0 (nb-3), Nehra 35-11-91-0, Khan 37-9-102-2, Ganguly 7-0-23-0 (nb-1), Tendulkar 30-4-94-2, Kumble 14-5-29-1 (nb-1), Laxman 1-1-0-0.
