Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar walks back to the pavillion as the West Indies team celebrates his dismissal during the third Test between India and the West Indies in Kolkata yesterday. - ReutersKOLKATA, India, CMC:
THE WEST Indies, behind diligent bowling, battled to a competitive position against India on the opening day of the third and final Test at Eden Gardens yesterday.
Pacer Mervyn Dillon picked up two wickets while, India - electing to bat - got useful scores from almost all their batsmen to close at 275 for six, with the 17-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman Parthiv Patel not out on 18 and Harbhajan Singh on three.
The Indians, following handsome victories in the first two Tests, are eyeing their first series whitewash over the West Indies, who are "playing for pride" to halt their wretched overseas trend of 25 defeats in their past 29 Test matches on tour.
India made a blazing start although Sanjay Bangar - edging Dillon - gave a difficult chance in the morning's seventh over to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was unable to grasp the ball diving full length to his right.
They were racing along at a run-a-minute 49 when Dillon trapped Virender Sehwag (35) leg before wicket with a quick delivery that cut back into the right-hander. Sehwag had looked threatening with six boundaries.
India dipped to 72 for two when umpire David Shepherd erroneously gave Rahul Dravid (14) out lbw as he edged Darren Powell's second delivery of the morning into his pad.
The West Indies made further inroads after lunch as young pacer Jermaine Lawson and captain Carl Hooper claimed two vital wickets while the home side added only 67 runs in the session.
From a lunch-time position of 98 for two, Bangar and Sachin Tendulkar were unable to flourish against improved bowling and Lawson struck midway through the session to remove Tendulkar (36) for the second time in as many matches.
Tendulkar, after hitting seven boundaries, drove at a delivery outside his off-stump, and edged to Chris Gayle who clutched a waist high catch at first slip at 116 for three.
Sourav Ganguly (30) then joined the stodgy Bangar in a 49-run fourth-wicket stand that ended when the Indian captain, cutting at off-spinner Hooper, edged to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, who snared a juggling catch on the stroke of tea time.
Bangar brought up his half century - off 171 balls in 279 minutes - by crashing Lawson through the off-side for his seventh boundary 25 minutes into the He eventually departed for 77, playing too early and lobbing a Cameron Cuffy delivery to short extra cover where Wavell Hinds moved forward and stretched to take an easy catch.
Bangar and V.V.S. Laxman had revived the innings, climbing from an unsteady 165 for four, to 242 for five as the Indians threatened late in the day to score with the authority they had shown in the morning session.
But they dipped to 271 for six when Laxman, who played several classy drives in his eight boundaries, departed for 48 edging Dillon to Gayle at second slip, and in fading light, Parthiv and Harbhajan stayed to the close.
Dillon led the bowlers with two for 61 off 17 overs, and Hooper (1-25), Cuffy (1-52), Lawson (1-57), and Powell (1-61) shared the other wickets.
The West Indies made three changes to their second Test team - replacing Ryan Hinds, Gareth Breese and the injured Pedro Collins, with Marlon Samuels, Powell and Cuffy.
In reverting to their four-man pace attack, the West Indies became the first Test team ever to go into a match at this ground without a specialist spinner.
India made just one change, bringing in left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra for the injured Zaheer Khan.
SCOREBOARD
India first innings
S. Bangar c Hinds b Cuffy 77
V. Sehwag lbw Dillon 35
R. Dravid lbw Powell 14
S. Tendulkar c Gayle b Lawson 36
S. Ganguly c Jacobs b Hooper 30
V.V.S. Laxman c Gayle b Dillon 48
P. Patel not out 18
H. Singh not out 3
Extras (lb8, nb6) 14
TOTAL (for six wkts) 275
Fall: 1-49, 2-72, 3-116, 4-165, 5-242, 6-271.
Bowling: Dillon 17-2-61-2 (2nb); Cuffy 20-4-52-1 (4nb); Lawson 16-3-57-1; Powell 15-4-61-1; Hooper 12-4-25-1; Gayle 2-0-6-0; Sarwan 1-0-5-0.
