Sarwan digs in for lonely vigil

Abdul Khan
Sunday 20 October 2002 00:00 BST
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The West Indies finally erased their first-innings deficit but still face an uphill task to keep the three-Test series alive against India, leading by 37 runs at stumps on day three of the Second Test.

Trailing by 149 at the start of their second innings, West Indies reached 186 for 4 with Ramnaresh Sarwan not out 62 and Ryan Hinds unbeaten on one, but their captain Carl Hooper will be furious at losing his wicket just five overs before bad light stopped play. Hooper, who was in fine touch with two sixes and three fours in his innings of 46, kept the scoreboard ticking over after Shivnarine Chanderpaul had a rare failure, hitting a Javagal Srinath delivery straight to Harbhajan Singh at midwicket.

Hooper fell in the 52nd over when he attempted to push Anil Kumble through the off-side, gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. India would be buoyed to see the back of him as they try to restrict their second innings chase to a minimum on what promises to be a difficult last-day pitch.

Starting the day on 190 for 5, India's tail batted well, with Harbhajan Singh (37) and Javagal Srinath (39) helping the home side reach 316.

Keen to make amends for their dismal first innings of just 167, the tourists made a dreadful start when Chris Gayle hit Javagal Srinath's fourth delivery straight to Anil Kumble at third man.

Sarwan and Wavell Hinds responmded to the crisis with a 96-run partnership before Hinds gifted Sourav Ganguly an easy catch off Harbhajan. Chanderpaul lasted just 11 deliveries and West Indies were rocking at 107 for 3, trailing by 42.

Hooper and Sarwan eventually guided the visitors into the lead, but Sarwa now needs a long innings for the West Indies to have any hope of squaring the series after losing the First Test by an innings and 112 runs.

But with Harbhajan and Kumble in peak form and the West Indies down in confidence, the tourists will do well to extend the Test to a fifth day.

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