Drawn To The Light

The 2nd Test ended as a tense draw at Bridgetown, Barbados, with a clatter of late wickets before umpires Asad Rauf and Ian Gould offered the light and effectively ended the match. The West Indies had lost any chance of a win with a half hour rain break half way through the last session but India blew a late storm surge through the Windies to almost claim victory.

Earlier, MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, bought some of his one day leadership audacity to the Test arena with a declaration that was bolder than his previous attempts to set up results in the third innings. After experiencing first hand how difficult the pitch had become on the third day and how hard it was to score, he closed after India could add only 40 runs in 13 overs, despite being in search of quick runs.

Fidel Edwards had the new ball in his hands from the get go and for once he didn't waste it in intimidation and low trajectory fly overs. Keeping the ball on a length, he earned three more wickets to bag five for the innings. The West Indies need him bowling these lines and lengths more often than the erratic, white-line fever stuff which is his other suite. Kohli, dropped for the plumb England tour overnight, left immediately, playing a poor shot outside his off stump and edging to Darren Sammy at second slip. VVS Laxman, the worst waster of century opportunities in Test cricket history gave his second innings the Britney Spears treatment and oops, he did it again, also edging to Sammy and gone for his second eighty of the Test. He was not a happy camper as he left the ground. Dhoni completed a good morning for Edwards when he tried to drive a delivery that wasn't designed for such things and lobbed the ball to mid off. Soon after, he called them in, setting the West Indies 281 in 83 overs but with the state of the pitch and the likelihood of rain, it was a safer bet than it will appear on paper later. 

The Caribbean lads started badly. Inside seven overs, Lendl Simmons had played loosely outside his off stump, edging Sharma to that man Dravid, who added it to his already substantial bag of Test catches. No sign of him slowing down in the field. Sarwan played what should be his last Test innings of the summer, when Praveen cramped him for room and caused another bad shot selection where he backed his talent and not the situation. Raina pouched the ball at third slip. Barath was worked over in his uncomfortable 18 over stay and Sharma got his man at the height of yet another impressive spell. Barath, as good as he is, couldn't tell if the ball was swinging in or out and was spellbound over the length, eventually push a half open bat face to Raina, again at third.


Chanderpaul's intention was to save the match, taking 29 overs to add 54 with Darren Bravo before Harbhajan deceived Ian Gould with a ball which not only hit Chanderpaul outside the line of off stump but was carrying on to well outside it. Chanderpaul played late but did play. These are the howlers that have administrators hoping they can solve the DRS implementation problems. It could have robbed the West Indies of a Test. Regardless of replays, Chanderpaul was on his way after a two hour 12.

Perhaps all of this spurred Darren Bravo to play like the batsmen he has often promised he is and maybe Carlton Baugh sensed the spectre of, if not a last chance, then one of the handful near the end. Whatever it was, after Sharma nailed Marlon Samuels to his woodwork with a ball which came in at him from the bowler's position wide of the crease, Bravo and Baugh set about saving the game. Bravo's near five hour innings was among his best for the West Indies and put some substance to the claims from the Caribbean of his worth. His defence was resolute when the pitch was at its worst and Baugh showed selective shot making for the first time in many a Test innings.

In the final two overs before gloom far brighter than the end of the World Cup Final played on this same ground five years ago, Bravo finally made a mistake or perhaps couldn't see the ball. Either way, he feathered it to Dhoni. The West Indies skipper, Darren Sammy, was out in Sharma's next over, again lbw to the long  haired quick and the game was in its last, violent death throws which allowed only one more delivery before the umpires call a halt.

Ishant Sharma took Man of the Match honours for his ten wickets but special mention must go to VVS Laxman's batting and the long battle which Bravo mounted on the last day to deny the Indians.