KOLKATA – West Indies bowlers got a boost of confidence in unforgiving conditions before relative unknown Parvinder Singh crafted a stylish half-century to lead an Uttar Pradesh (UP) fightback in their tour match yesterday.
Veerasammy Permaul has taken 2-61 from 17 overs and there was one wicket apiece for Darren Sammy, Sheldon Cottrell and Tino Best, but Singh was unbeaten on 78, as UP reached 206 for five.
They were replying to the Windies’ first innings total of 466, when bad light stopped play about 25 minutes before the rescheduled close with 12 overs remaining on the second day of three in the match at the Jadavpur University Complex.
The visitors would have felt reassured when Uttar Pradesh stumbled to 96 for four about ten minutes before tea, but Singh struck 11 fours and two sixes from 101 balls in just over 2 ¼ hours and featured in a half-century, fifth-wicket stand with Prashant Gupta to ease the home team’s pain.
Permaul was the feature attraction in a half-century, ninth-wicket stand with Tino Best that extended West Indies’ first innings to lunch, after Shivnarine Chanderpaul completed his 68th first-class hundred. Narsingh Deonarine failed to reach his tenth, and the Caribbean side stumbled to 383 for eight.
Permaul was not out on 46, Best made 35, Deonarine finished with 94 and Chanderpaul ended with the top score of 112, as the Windies’ batting took shape ahead of the first Test against Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side, starting on Wednesday at Eden Gardens on the other side of this eastern city.
It was a comforting sign for the Caribbean side’s head coach Ottis Gibson and accompanying chief selector Clyde Butts, although fast-medium bowler Imtiaz Ahmed threatened to spoil the fun, taking 5-117 from 25 overs to be the most successful UP bowler, and Rudra Pratap Singh, the discarded India left-arm fast bowler, claimed 3-86 from 24.3 overs.
The last hour and a half before tea then proved fruitful for West Indies, after the home team’s openers Tanmay Srivastava and Mukul Dagar started confidently against the new ball.
But Cottrell made the breakthrough, when Srivastava played back and across to a full-length delivery that bowled him for 23.
Permaul ended a period of attrition, when he had discarded Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif caught at forward short leg for 16.
Best set Uttar Pradesh back further, when he bowled opener Mukul Dagar for 42 and Arish Alam was caught behind from a top-edged cut off Permaul, as the home team reached 102 for four at tea.
After the break, the Windies bowlers were neutralised by the soft ball, flat pitch and the batting of Parvinder, in particular, and Gupta, as they put on 107.
With not much happening for the visitors, Parvinder reached his 50 from 96 balls with a deuce to long on off Narsingh Deonarine’s uncomplicated off spin before the West Indies captain broke the stand, when Gupta was caught behind for 39, edging a loose drive about five minutes before stumps were drawn.
Earlier, Chanderpaul continued merrily, after West Indies resumed from their overnight total of 333 for four, following another hour-long delay to the start due to a wet outfield caused by heavy overnight dew.
The durable left-hander reached his hundred from 142 balls, when he drove R.P. Singh through cover for four and typically looked set to bat all day until he played back and across to his 153rd delivery from fast-medium bowler Imtiaz Ahmed and was lbw. He struck 16 fours and two sixes in 198 minutes of batting. (CMC)
