Lara sets W Indies on road to victory: Cricket

West Indies 427 & 241-4 India 346

Brian Lara gave an electrifying charge of life to a match that was heading for a slow and pointless death and gave the West Indies a real chance of victory over India on the final day.

When the dapper left-hander strolled on to Sabina Park just after tea, the West Indies' effort to build rapidly on a first-innings lead of 81 had come to a virtual standstill. Sherwin Campbell and Shivnarine Chanderpaul had been becalmed by the leg-spinner, Anil Kumble, and the left-arm spin of Sunil Joshi, scoring only 13 runs off 11 overs. But then Kumble induced the frustrated Campbell to play on for 43, as he had done earlier with the other opener, Stuart Williams, and the match changed dramatically.

Lara wasted no time setting about the bowling, to the delight of a crowd of 12,000. Chanderpaul was quickly transformed to a busy accumulator and the Indians were suddenly at sixes and sevens. The six was by Lara off Kumble, straight and long.

Kumble finally got his man from a fine catch to the keeper but by then Lara was 78, made from just 83 balls with that six and eight fours, the partnership with Chanderpaul was worth 122 and the West Indies were a commanding 284 ahead.

Chanderpaul followed next ball to the fast-medium Abey Kuruvilla for 48 but Carl Hooper and Roland Holder extended the advantage to 322 before failing light brought a rain-interrupted day to a close with six of the scheduled overs left.

Earlier India, resuming at 308 for 7, were dismissed for 346. Their wicketkeeper, Nayan Mongia, who had prevented total collapse the previous day, was finally out for 78, the top score.

Franklyn Rose, the tall 25-year-old Jamaican fast bowler, finished with six for 100. No other West Indian fast bowler has claimed as many on Test debut.

(Fourth day; West Indies won toss)

WEST INDIES - First Innings 427 (C L Hooper 129, B C Lara 83, S Chanderpaul 52; A R Kumble 5-120).

INDIA - First Innings

(Overnight 308-7)

N R Mongia c Holder b Walsh 78

S Joshi b Bishop 43

A Kuruvilla b Rose 0

B K V Prasad not out 10

Extras (b5 lb9 nb23) 37

Total 346

Fall (cont): 8-315 9-320.

Bowling: Ambrose 24-9-35-0; Bishop 24.5-4-62-3; Rose 33-7-100-6; Walsh 32-6-73-1; Hooper 21-9-40-0; Chanderpaul 11-4-22-0.

WEST INDIES - Second innings

S L Campbell b Kumble 43

S C Williams b Kumble 26

S Chanderpaul c Tendulkar b Kuruvilla 48

B C Lara c Mongia b Kumble 78

C L Hooper not out 12

R I C Holder not out 21

Extras (b4 lb9) 13

Total (for 4) 241

To bat: J R Murray, I R Bishop, C E L Ambrose, F A Rose, *C A Walsh.

Bowling: Prasad 15-2-46-0; Kuruvilla 17-2-56-1; Kumble 23-6-76-3; Joshi 6-1-27-0; Laxman 3-0-14-0; Tendulkar 2-0-9-0.

Umpires: S A Bucknor (WI) and M J Kitchen (Eng).