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India breeze through first day

Faisal Shariff

India vs West Indies: 3rd Test: Day 1 Kolkata, India

Scorecard

Old perceptions took a beating as India's batsmen scored at a frenetic rate of 3.3 runs per over -- a rate matched only by Australia -- to end the first day of the third and final Test against the West Indies on 275 for 6.

A blistering start from Virender Sehwag at the top, accompanied by a breezy 24 from Sachin Tendulkar, saw 98 runs being scored in the first session for the loss of two wickets. That set the tempo for the rest of the day despite the four-pronged pace attack of the West Indies kept picking wickets at regular intervals.

If the West Indies can knock off the remaining four Indian wickets tomorrow morning, they could well look to redeem themselves in the Test series.

Skipper Carl Hooper said he wants to salvage some pride before the end of the tour after the humiliating defeats in Mumbai and Chennai.

Morning session

Getting off to a flier, India went into lunch on 98 for 2, with Sachin Tendulkar, batting on a fluent 27-ball 24, which was studded with with five fours, determined to better his record at the Eden Gardens.

For the first time, a team went into a Test match at the Eden Gardens without a specialist spinner. The West Indies rang in three changes. Marlon Samuels, Darren Powell and Cameron Cuffy replaced Ryan Hinds, Gareth Breese and Pedro Collins. Four pace bowlers made up the visitors' bowling attack, with the off-spin options of Carl Hooper and Marlon Samuels.

Having already lost the series, the decision to bring in four pace bowlers was a positive one. Spinners Mahendra Nagamootoo and Gareth Breese are not exceptional, and against a batting line-up that feasts on the tweakers, the decision to play to their own strength deserves kudos.

With Zaheer Khan injured, India included left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra in the final eleven.

On a firm wicket, Sourav Ganguly won the toss and opted to bat first.

The 'Sehwag show' got under way with a brilliant cut off the backfoot, as Cameron Cuffy pitched one a shade short of good length. Mervyn Dillon, who bowled a maiden first over to the unexciting Sanjay Bangar, pitched one up in his next over and saw the ball fly past him for a four.

Dripping with strokes, Sehwag opened the blade of the bat and sent the ball to the point fence to end the Dillon over. The West Indies opening bowlers bowled well, but Sehwag disagreed, punishing the slightest inaccuracy in line and length ruthlessly.

In the next over, Dillon induced an edge from Bangar's bat. The ball flew to Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, at third slip, who dived to his left and got his hands to it but failed to hold on to what would have been a fine catch.

Sehwag's blitz forced a bowling change by Hooper. But 20-year-old Lawson's introduction failed to stem the flow of runs as the in-form batsman continued his flurry by flicking the newcomer's second ball for four.

Seven boundaries contributed to the team score of 36 and Sehwag was the main culprit. He crashed the ball past the boundary ropes six times.

Dillon, bowling with a lot of heart and spunk, finally trapped Sehwag in front of the wicket with a wicked ball that pitched outside off and cut in sharply. India lost the explosive opener -- for 35 off 35 balls -- before crossing the 50-run mark.

Dravid began with rare fluidity early on as India reached 60 for 1 in 13 overs in the first hour of play. But despite a clear inside edge on to pads, off Jamaican seamer Daren Powell, umpire David Shepherd raised the finger to send Dravid back to the pavilion. India lost wicket number two at 71 for 2.

Enthralling stroke-play from Sachin Tendulkar sent the Eden Gardens crowd into raptures. His off drives, picture perfect straight drives and one cheeky cut over the slips left the Windies quickies despondent.

At the other end, Bangar concentrated on digging in. But the runs flowed as India went into lunch at 98 for 2, at a run-rate of 3.77.

Post-lunch session

Two edges turned things around for the West Indies after lunch. Tendulkar was kept away from the business end longer than he would have preferred as Bangar got bogged down in the face of some disciplined bowling.

Hooper ensured that the scoring rate slumped, and asked his bowlers to bowl wide outside off-stump to Tendulkar. The master batsman shaped up to drive Lawson through the covers; the ball swung in late and flew off the edge to Chris Gayle, in the slips.

With Tendulkar gone for 36 -- failing yet again at the Eden Gardens -- the Indian middle-order seemed to wobble for the first time in the series at 116-3.

The surround sound of the ground increased a few watts as local boy Sourav Ganguly strode out to take guard. With a sweetly timed boundary through mid-wicket, the celebrations -- despite Tendulkar's dismissal -- were on.

Ganguly was beyond good on the off-side as he sent the ball rocketing to the point fence in the next over. With a fan base of ice cream cheering him on, he played some sumptuous drives and raced to a quickfire 30 before impetuosity led to his end.

In the last over before tea, Ganguly tried to cut a harmless off-cutter from Hooper and found the ball take an edge and settle into the gloves of keeper Ridley Jacobs. One short of a fifty-run partnership, he and Bangar walked back to the pavilion for tea. Ganguly was, at least, relieved that he was finally fairly dismissed in the series.

India went to tea at 165 for 3 in the 52nd over, with Bangar nine short of his second fifty of the series. Post-tea session:

Refusing to fade away into the margin of the innings, Bangar walked out after tea to get to his second half-century of the series and flung his bat at the four-pronged pace attack.

He cover drove Lawson for four and flicked him through mid-wicket for another boundary before tearing into Hooper's gentle off-cutters for boundaries. He reached his half-century off 172 deliveries, of which 147 were dot balls.

India coach John Wright believes that with a little urgency to score runs, Bangar has it in him to carve his place in the team. For the first time since the hundred that the Railways batsman scored against Zimbabwe did he step up the scoring rate after reaching his half-century.

VVS Laxman continued his love affair with the Eden Gardens, middling the ball from the first ball he faced. His earlier innings -- the 281 against Australia last year -- on this turf registered the highest individual score by an Indian.

Laxman batted with exuberance. He used his brilliant gifts of timing and supple wrists to send the ball screaming to the fence. The boundary he hit through the covers to bring up the 200 of the team was easily the shot of the day.

At 165 for 4, India were struggling, but the 77-run partnership between Bangar and Laxman saw the momentum of the game swing back the team's way.

Bangar finally departed after a marathon 333-minute stay at the crease, for 77 runs. He was surprised by a rising delivery from Cameron Cuffy, which flew to Wavell Hinds in the covers. Still, India were comfortably placed at 242 for 5.

Parthiv Patel joined Laxman in the middle with the sun setting on the picturesque ground. Two short of his third consecutive half-century at the ground, Laxman was beaten by the extra pace of a Dillon delivery and snapped up by Gayle in the slips.

Bad light stopped play with seven overs still to be bowled. India were 275 for the loss of six wickets, with Parthiv (18) and Harbhajan Singh (3) at the crease.

India lost wickets regularly but yet managed to score at a healthy rate of 3.3 an over, a rate matched only by the mighty Australians.

The scoring was done at a frenetic pace, piling on 98 runs in the morning session, off 26 overs; the post lunch session saw a mere 67 runs in the 26 overs bowled; but the breezy partnership between Bangar and Laxman after tea took the wind out of the West Indian sails as India amassed 110 runs in 31 overs.

For the visitors the ploy to use four bowlers seems to have worked as they kept getting breakthroughs at regular intervals besides still being in the game unlike in the earlier Tests where huge first innings totals have shut them out of the game.

West Indies chairman of selectors Sir Vivian Richards said the plan to play four bowlers was an experiment having already lost the Test series. He added that fast bowlers had earlier performed creditably on the slow Indian tracks. He was hopeful that this series would also help unearth a talented paceman.