West Indies captain Brian Lara (right) prepares to take his 150th catch in Test cricket off India's Mahendra Dhoni, who edged the ball bowled by Corey Collymore (out of photo) towards slip, during first day action in the first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua, yestrerday.- DELLMAR ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):
SEAMERS DWAYNE Bravo and Corey Collymore snared seven wickets between them to give the West Indies the upper hands against India on the first day of the first Digicel Test match at the Antigua Recreation Ground here yesterday.
Bravo, who used the slower ball to good effect, grabbed four for 37 while Collymore, who overcame an injury before the match, captured three for 37 as the Windies restricted the visitors to 235 for nine at the close.
India, who won the toss and batted on a pitch with a fair bit of grass, never came to grips with the conditions. Only captain Rahul Dravid, who grafted his way to 49, showed any enterprise but he too perished like most of his charges, surrendering his wicket to a loose shot.
The resolute right-hander, who stubbornly resisted for 173 balls and 249 minutes while striking four fours, before fell late in the innings.
As early as the third over, India were on the back-foot when fast bowler Fidel Edwards forced Wasim Jaffer to edge a delivery that bounced and moved to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who finished with three catches.
It was also a good day in the slips for Windies captain Brain Lara who took three catches at second slip including his 150th,
that of the Indian wicket-keeper/batsman Mahendra Dhoni who was one of Collymore's victims.
Virender Sehwag, who made a cameo 36 off 37 balls with seven fours, added 41 with Dravid for the second wicket before he edged the first ball of Collymore's first spell of the day for Lara to accept a low catch.
VVS Laxman, who made 29 with five fours, partnered Dravid to take the score to 72 before he edged a ball slightly held back by Bravo to Ramdin, just before lunch as India went to break at 74 for three.
India then had perhaps their most productive partnership of the innings with Yuvraj Singh and Dravid adding 54 for the fourth wicket, to deny the Windies bowlers any success.
Singh, whose 23 came from 67 balls with three fours, got a reprieve when he was dropped at third slip by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off Edwards but went soon afterward when he played back to a chinaman from left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed and was bowled for 23.
India reached 144 for four at tea but Bravo got the breakthrough after the interval when he induced Mohammed Kaif (13) to give Ramdin his third straight-forward catch to leave the tourists at 155 for five.
The big-hitting Mahendra Dhoni flexed his muscle for 19 from 27 balls with two fours before being out-foxed by Collymore, who got a delivery to move away late resulting in another catch to Lara, his 150th in Tests.
Dravid's solid resistance finally ended when he steered a catch to his opposite number at slip to give Collymore his third scalp at 180 for seven.
Anil Kumble hung around to make 21 as he put on 47 for the eighth wicket with Shantha Sreesanth who was unbeaten on 24 at the close.
Kumble was out when he chopped Bravo onto his stumps and the bowler ensured West Indies had more to celebrate when he had debutant VRV Singh (2) out skying an attempted pull to Ramnaresh Sarwan at short mid-on.
INDIA 1st innings
W Jaffer c wkpr Ramdin b Edwards 1
V Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 36
VVS Laxman c wkpr Ramdin b Bravo 29
R Dravid c Lara b Collymore 49
Yuvraj Singh b Mohammed 23
M Kaif c wkpr Ramdin b Bravo 13
M Dhoni c Lara b Collymore 19
A Kumble b Bravo 21
S Sreesanth not out 24
VR Singh c Sarwan b Bravo 2
MM Patel not out 0
Extras (lb8, w1, nb9) 18
TOTAL (9 wkts, 88 overs) 235
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-51, 3-72, 4-126, 5-155, 6-179, 7-180, 8-227, 9-231.
Bowling: Edwards 16-3-50-1 (nb1, w1), Bradshaw 24-3-83-0 (nb7), Collymore 17-7-27-3, Gayle 4-0-6-0, Bravo 20-9-37-4 (nb1), Mohammed 7-1-24-1.
WEST INDIES Brian Lara (captain) Ian Bradshaw, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul Denesh Ramdin, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Dave Mohammed.
Toss: India.
Umpires: Asad Rauf, Simon Taufel.
TV Umpire: Billy Doctrove.
Match referee: Jeff Crowe.
