India's Virender Sehwag raises his bat to celebrate his century during the first day's play of the first Test between India and West Indies in Mumbai yesterday. - ReutersMUMBAI, India, CMC:
VIRENDER SEHWAG stroked a career-best hundred as India enjoyed fruitful batting against the West Indies on the opening day of their first Test match at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday.
Electing to bat, India closed at 278 for two, with star batsman Sachin Tendulkar not out on 35 and Rahul Dravid on 28.
Sehwag smashed 147, with 24 fours and three sixes, and shared in a record 201-run opening stand with Sanjay Bangar (55) before pacer Mervyn Dillon removed them both in the final session to give the West Indies some relief on a day they paid the price for some sloppy out-cricket.
The opening stand was India's highest ever against the West Indies, topping the 153 between Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan in the 1978/79 series.
The 23-year-old Sehwag achieved his third century in only his 10th Test match, by swinging part-time medium pacer Wavell Hinds to the square-leg boundary for his 19th boundary.
In hot 34-degree (celsius) conditions and 85 per cent humidity, the West Indies bowlers toiled without success for the entire morning session as the Indian openers were generally untroubled - with a few exceptions, like pacer Pedro Collins smashing a short ball into Sehwag's helmet.
Sehwag, always the more enterprising of the opening pair, announced his attacking intentions by taking three boundaries off leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo's fifth over and had posted 53 in the lunch time score of 75 without loss.
He had a lucky escape on 63 third over after lunch when he flashed a short wide ball from pacer Dillon high to the third-man boundary where Collins, stretching high, allowed the ball to slip through his hands.
Bangar also had some luck, ruled by the umpire not out on 21 when he got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs off the first ball of the 38th over, bowled by Nagamootoo.
Wavell Hinds then missed a chance to run out Sehwag when he failed to gather an accurate throw from Cameron Cuffy to the non-strikers' end.
Bangar, dropped on 54 off Hooper when Cuffy floored an easy chance running around from mid-off, was first to go.
Attempting to whip Dillon off his legs, he was taken at short mid-wicket by Ramnaresh Sarwan, diving forward to hold a fine catch.
Sehwag was dislodged 12 runs later, flicking at a Dillon leg-side delivery for wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs to glove a splendid one-handed catch, diving to his left.
Tendulkar, survived a chance before stumps but with the in form Dravid, played out the remainder of the day, a frustrating one for the West Indies, who used nine bowlers.
Dillon picked up two for 30 off 16 overs with six maidens.
Before the start, Hooper, appearing on the same ground he made his debut as a 20-year-old in 1987, collected a plaque for his 100th Test match, the sixth West Indies player to achieve this, after Courtney Walsh (132), Sir Vivian Richards (121), Desmond Haynes (116) and Gordon Greenidge (108).
The Windies are trying to protect a fine record in India, having not lost there in 24 years - since the Indians' 1-0 win in 1978/79, the only series loss ever for the West Indies in India.
SCOREBOARD
India first innings
S. Bangar c Sarwan b Dillon 55
V. Sehwag c Jacobs b Dillon 147
R. Dravid not out 28
S. Tendulkar not out 35
Extras (lb5, w1, nb7) 13
TOTAL (for two wkts) 278
Fall: 1-201, 2-213.
Bowling: Dillon 16-6-30-2 (1w); Collins 15-6-38-0 (3nb); Cuffy 15-4-42-0;
Nagamootoo 21-4-70-0 (3nb); Hooper 7-2-34-0; W. Hinds 4-0-11-0; R. Hinds
9-0-39-0 (1nb); Gayle 2-1-3-0; Sarwan 1-0-6-0.
