RAIN RESULTED in an early end to play 20 minutes after tea on the second day of the third and final Digicel cricket Test at Windsor Park here today with India on eight without loss, replying to the West Indies’ first innings total of 204.
On another rain-shortened day in which 49.2 overs were bowled, India’s tall fast bowler Ishant Sharma undermined the West Indies with his swing, bounce and pace, finishing with five for 77 in 21.3 probing overs to carry his series tally to 21 wickets.
Sharma got admirable support from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who joined 10 other Test bowlers in the 400-club with the wickets of West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy and top scorer Carlton Baugh.
Wicketkeeper Baugh counter-attacked in a typical aggressive knock of 60, laced with seven fours and a six off 79 balls in 103 minutes but his third Test half-century and Darren Bravo’s even 50 (eight fours, 134 balls) were overshadowed by the feats of Sharma and Harbhajan, who ended with two for 26 in 15 overs.
Baugh and Bravo forged a 59-run sixth-wicket partnership on either side of lunch to revive the Windies, who had slumped to 99 for five after resuming from an overnight 75 for three.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul added only six to his bed-time score of 17 while Marlon Samuels made just nine, bowled off the inside edge by seamer Praveen Kumar, who snared two scalps for 22 runs. Captain Darren Sammy contributed a breezy 20 with three fours and a six before falling to Harbhajan, who became the third Indian bowler, behind Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev to claim 400 wickets when he bowled Baugh.
Sharma polished off the tail, bowling both Fidel Edwards and Devendra Bishoo with lifting deliveries, which they deflected onto the stumps.
The five-day match enters the third day on Friday. India lead the series 1-0.
