West Indies skipper Brian Lara glances the ball off his pads while India's wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni (left) reacts, during his match-saving innings of 120 on the fifth and final day of the second Test in the Digicel series against India at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia yesterday. - DELLMAR
GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (CMC):
CAPTAIN BRIAN Lara hit his 32nd Test century to help West Indies achieve a tense, battling draw against India on the fifth day of the second Digicel Test at Beausejour Stadium yesterday.
Facing a first innings deficit of 373, West Indies, on the back of Lara's fighting 120, batted through the entire final day to end on 294 for seven.
Showing admirable determination, Lara occupied the crease for six-and-a-half fours, faced 307 balls and hit 10 fours in helping the hosts out of a difficult position after the early loss of two wickets.
PULLED AROUND
Resuming the final day on 43 for one, following a complete washout on the fourth day, West Indies lost Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the first half-hour before they were pulled around by successive century partnerships that Lara was involved in.
Lara put on 129 for the fourth wicket with former captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made 54 and then added 100 for the fifth wicket with Dwayne Bravo, whose contribution was 47.
Lara's hundred carried him level with Australian Steve Waugh on the list of highest century-makers, which is headed by Sachin Tendulkar (35) and Sunil Gavaskar (34).
CONTROVERSIAL DECISION
But after the West Indies captain fell to a controversial lbw decision from umpire Asad Rauf with 19.5 overs remaining, the match became alive again with India desperately trying to take the last five wickets to claim a 1-0 series lead.
They got only two, but could have collected another had captain Rahul Dravid not missed a low chance at second slip offered by Denesh Ramdin with 3.1 overs left.
Ramdin (19 not out) and Ian Bradshaw, who faced 40 balls for just one run, almost batted out the final 50 minutes before Bradshaw was dismissed in the penultimate over.
India had earlier claimed the advantage at the start of the day by removing Ganga and Sarwan in the space of a run.
Ganga fell for 26 after adding only two his overnight total. He was bowled offering no stroke to a googly from leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
Sarwan followed quickly after when he edged a defensive shot from fast bowler Munaf Patel to wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni.
The first session, extended by half-hour - with a 9.30 a.m. start - in an effort to make up for the loss of the entire fourth day because of rain, produced 95 runs for two wickets and the second period yielded 83 runs for the loss of one wicket.
Chanderpaul, who batted for three hours, was the only pre-tea victim after striking six fours off 114 balls before hitting a full-toss from leg-spinner Anil Kumble to mid-on.
Lara reached his century 20 minutes before tea, but had the benefit of two chances.
On 42, he was mis-stumped down the leg-side by Dhoni off left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan and on 70, he was dropped low at slip by Yuvraj Singh off off-spinner Virender Sehwag.
Lara eventually fell 45 minutes after tea when he was adjudged lbw to Sehwag when the ball seemed to hit the batsman outside off stump playing a stroke.
Bravo, who faced 122 balls in close to two and a half hours' batting, fell to a catch off the inside edge at forward short-leg with three quarters of an hour remaining, but India had too much to do when Brad-shaw was lbw just a few minutes remaining.
Kumble finished with three for 98 for 42 off overs and Patel took two for 50 from 21 overs.
The third Test starts on June 22 at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA 1st Innings 588 for 8 dec. (V Sehwag 180; P Collins 4-116)
WEST INDIES 1st Innings 215 (C Gayle 46; V Sehwag 3-33)
WEST INDIES 2nd Innings (overnight 43 for 1)
C. Gayle c wkp Dhoni b Pathan 2
D. Ganga b Kumble 26
B. Lara lbw b Sehwag 120
R. Sarwan c wk Dhoni b Patel 1
S. Chanderpaul c Pathan b Kumble 54
D. Bravo c Yuvraj b Kumble 47
+D. Ramdin not out 19
I. Bradshaw lbw b Patel 1
J. Taylor not out 0
Extras (lb4, nb15, pen 5) 24
TOTAL (7 wkts - 119 overs) 294
Fall of wicket: 1-2, 2-51, 3-52, 4-181, 5-252, 6-277, 7-291.
Bowling: Pathan 15-2-50-1, Patel 21-7-50-2 (nb4), VRV Singh 11-0-39-0 (nb4), Kumble 42-10-98-3 (nb6), Sehwag 30-10-48-1 (nb1).
Result: Match drawn.
Man-of-the-Match: Virender Sehwag.
Umpires: Simon Taufel, Asad Rauf. TV replays: Steve Bucknor.
Match referee: Jeff Crowe.
