West Indies v India: Ganga and Sarwan set up daunting prospect

Daren Ganga and Ram-naresh Sarwan completed hundreds in a second-wicket partnership of 203 as the West Indies moved towards a daunting total on the second day of the third Test against India here yesterday. However, India reclaimed some of the lost ground by removing Ganga for 135, Sarwan for 116 and the captain Brian Lara for 10 in the space of 25 runs either side of lunch.

Three-quarters of an hour after the interval, the West Indies were 380 for 4 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 10 and Dwayne Bravo on six.

Taking advantage of a compliant pitch, a small outfield at the new Warner Park ground and limited bowling, Sarwan celebrated his 26th birthday with a volley of shots against the fast bowler Munaf Patel in the third over of the second new ball that yielded six consecutive fours. The burst moved him from 75 to 99 and he passed his ninth Test hundred, in his 62nd Test match, in the following over.

He was finally dismissed half an hour after lunch, lbw to the fast bowler Sanath Sreesanath after hitting a six and 17 fours from 174 balls. By then, Ganga and Lara had been dismissed by Patel, compensating for the savaging he received from Sarwan in a spell of three overs with the second new ball that cost 42.

Ganga changed from the defensive method he had favoured on the first day of the Test, when he laboured to 64 from 187 balls, to add another 71 off 107 balls before he diverted a ball back into his off-stump off the inside edge.

His innings of 135, which included 15 fours, was his third, and highest, hundred in his 37th Test.

In the next over, Patel briefly silenced the home crowd when he quickly followed the dismissal of Ganga by winning the first of numerous lbw appeals to account for Lara, who had looked in good touch before being caught leg before.

Sarwan's wicket after he added only three to his lunch-time score noticeably lifted Indian spirits but they still faced the prospect of a formidable total.