Day 4: India*: 209 - 276 / 5 in 80.4 overs RR: 3.42,West Indies: 304 - 180 in 57.3 overs RR: 3.13
India take 1-0 lead comfortably
India successfully completed the second-highest chase on their home soil to secure a 1-0 lead against West Indies. After the horrors of England, it was a welcome return to winning ways for MS Dhoni’s men as they overhauled the 276 run target after Lunch on the fourth day with a margin of five wickets. Even though, the visitors struck early to remove Rahul Dravid, the chase was anchored by Sachin Tendulkar with some help from VVS Laxman.
On a typically hazy morning at Feroz Shah Kotla, India started the day needing 124 to take lead in the three match series. Overnight batsman, Sachin Tendulkar started on a bright note by deflecting a Sammy delivery down to the fine leg boundary for a four in first over of the day’s proceedings. However, run scoring was not easy against Fidel Edwards, bowling from the other end. He cranked up good pace and got the ball to reverse, often bringing it into the right hander’s pads. Rahul Dravid was cleaned up by one such delivery that cannoned into the stumps after swinging in a mile from off-stump, India lost a wicket early for addition of only ten runs to the score.
The new man in, VVS Laxman opened his account by flicking a delivery similar to the one that got Dravid for a boundary. Despite the wicket, India continued to bat positively as Tendulkar hit two more boundaries in the 48th over to bring down the target under hundred. Soon after, the little master brought up his 62nd Test fifty as India began to take complete control. With runs coming pretty quickly for the hosts there was some anticipation of the match finishing well before Lunch.
After India went past 200, Tendulkar hit two trademark boundaries off Ravi Rampaul as his 100th hundred in international cricket suddenly seemed possible. With 41 needed for his century out of 66 runs, the excitement levels suddenly rose and Sachin responded with yet another boundary off the same bowler. With the result now a foregone conclusion, all the focus shifted to the landmark that has been in the air for some time now but a Bishoo delivery that skidded to trap Sachin leg before for 76 brought about what was an anti-climax.
Meanwhile, Laxman after a busy start had slowed down a tad to allow Sachin reach the elusive three figures, partnered with Yuvraj Singh to take India into Lunch without any more damage at 254 for 4, 22 short of the target.
When play resumed, VVS Laxman completed his half-century and Yuvraj Singh once again fell to Darren Sammy as the formalities were completed and India took lead in the series.
Day 3: Bulletin on next page
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