CHRIS GAYLE scored two half centuries for the West Indies last week to help them draw the first Digicel Test match against India in Antigua. The left-handed opener scored 72 and 69 which led West Indies to a nerve-racking draw and in the process was named The Gleaner Top Performer of the Week.
Gayle's good performance started in the first innings when he and Ramnaresh Sarwan, 57, pounded India's three fast bowlers after the Windies lost Daren Ganga at 18-1.
Gayle, with typical savagery, pounced on the new-ball pair of Sreesanth and Munaf Patel, as Sarwan played smoothly at the other end.
Gayle's first scoring stroke was a top-edged cut over the slips to third man and he repeated the stroke in the next over from Sreesanth.
He lofted the first ball of Sreesanth's fifth over for a straight six and collected two boundaries square of the wicket off the last two deliveries in an over that cost 17.
In the end, the Lucas Cricket Club player was caught at slip off Kumble after adding 119 for the second wicket with Sarwan, this after hitting 13 fours and one six from 91 balls in 2 1/4 hours.
With his team chasing 392 to win in the second innings, Gayle and Ganga saw off four overs on the penultimate evening but after the latter went just before lunch on the final day, Gayle carried on.
In unusual style, Gayle batted patiently and, along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, carried West Indies to 171 from a precariously placed 72-3.
After batting for four and a half hours, Gayle was dismissed in the third over after the tea break when he played a long way forward and umpire Simon Taufel adjudged him lbw. Gayle struck nine fours and three sixes in his second knock of the match.
Anthony Foster
