Lara ton guides WI to draw

Cometh the moment, cometh the man. Brian Lara may not have won any fans with the fluency and beauty of his batting today, but as a measure of pure grit, guts and determination, it was little short of masterclass. The West Indies captain spent the best part of the final day of the second Test match negating a battling Indian attack and saving another drawn result for his team.

All who turned up at the Beausejour Stadium were reminded of the ability and influence of Lara as a batsman. He may have taken 307 balls to accumulate 120 runs, but on a day that scoring was not the priority, Lara was heroic. It was the second slowest innings over 20 of his career. Yet it only typified the manner in which Brian Lara was calm under pressure, providing the backbone to another escape from a desperate situation for the West Indies.

Lara began the day under few illusions, and gritted his way through the morning session. At the other end, Daren Ganga (26) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (1) departed cheaply, and while the task at hand grew greater with each lost partner, Lara only grew more determined. He was joined by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who provided a steady influence throughout the remainder of the morning session.

The dangers of a score of 52-3 were arrested at lunch, and the two carried the score to 138-3. Progress after resumption continued to be less than awe-inspiring, but time was slipping away for the Indians and confidence growing for the West Indies.

The two absorbed 43.4 overs of the day’s play in adding 129 runs. The tireless Anil Kumble was the man to breakthrough for India, however, dislodging Chanderpaul unexpectedly with full toss. It was not the finest delivery witnessed on the day, but few were more effective, as India found a lifeline in the search for victory.

Chanderpaul made 54, and he gave way to allrounder Dwayne Bravo. The change of partner did nothing to deter Lara, however. He soldiered onward and defended stoutly, with watchful strokeplay. Bravo has matured greatly with the bat in recent times, and has learnt much from batting alongside his countryman and mentor Lara. With a Test match on the line, the bond between the men came to the fore once more.

Lara reached his hundred before tea with a booming boundary. He raised his bat in appreciation, then settled down to complete the job he had masterminded. He and Bravo whittled away at the time and all seemed secure for the West Indies, until the intervention of a cruel fate.

Umpire Asad Rauf was erroneous in his decision, but Brian Lara had his epic innings ended by Virender Sehwag, when he was adjudged lbw in the 98th over of the innings. At 252-5, India once again verged on opportunity and sought to capitalize.

Bravo continued with increasing authority, however. The young man danced down the wicket to dispatch Kumble over long-off for six, and strolled boldly to 47 before his demise. The same bowler he had clobbered over the boundary line accounted for his wicket with a bat-pad decision. Yuvraj Singh snapped up the catch with another highlight-worthy effort at backward short leg.

Though the tail was then exposed, Bravo had ensured that only nine overs remained to be negotiated in the game. The Indian spinners and Munaf Patel threw their weight at the West Indian batsmen and tested them to no end with close shouts for most every manner of dismissal. Denesh Ramdin in particular looked uncertain throughout his tenure against Patel. He even procured to edge one ball to Rahul Dravid at slip, but saw the Indian captain crucially spill the catch.

Patel was mildly recompensed a little later when, with 9 balls remaining in the day, he trapped Ian Bradshaw lbw for 1. Once more it appeared that the Indians had mustered too little too late, and Jerome Taylor joined Ramdin to see off the final proceedings.

Rain was the spoilsport as far as India are concerned, as the entire fourth day’s play was washed out to deny victory in a match they dominated thoroughly. But it was the innings of Brian Lara that remains fresh in the minds as the vehicle of salvation. His magnificent slow hundred ensured that the series score remains tied. The innings keeps opportunity alive for the West Indies with two Tests remaining in the series.

India 1st innings 588-8 dec.
Virender Sehwag 180, Mohammed Kaif 148*, Rahul Dravid 146
Pedro Collins 4-116, Chris Gayle 1-52

West Indies 1st innings 215 all out
Chris Gayle 46, Shivnarine Chanderpaul/Denesh Ramdin 30
Virender Sehwag 3-33, Munaf Patel 3-51, Anil Kumble 3-57

West Indies 2nd innings (f-o) 294-7
Brian Lara 120, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 54, Dwayne Bravo 47
Anil Kumble 3-98, Munaf Patel 2-50

Match drawn.

Cricket Web Man of the Match: Virender Sehwag – 180, 3-33 and 1-48