For a team about to set sail on what is probably one of the most important tours in recent times, India’s performance on the last day of the third Test match against West Indies will be much-talked about. And it will not only be the fans who would be doing the talking, but chances are that their opposition in that vital, forthcoming series, England, would have taken some notes down as well.
India v West Indies 3rd Test: Gutsy Chanderpaul, Surprising Indian Tactics Seal Draw
West Indies had begun the day at 224 for the loss of six wickets. The lead hadn’t touched even a 100 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only recognised batsman remaining. After a brief partnership with captain Darren Sammy, West Indies lost two wickets in the same over and slumped to just 109 ahead with eight men back in the pavilion.
One would have expected a quick wrap-up and a chase-down to the target.
Instead, India failed to dislodge the ninth wicket stand between Chanderpaul (116*) and Fidel Edwards, who batted 37 overs to add their 65 to pull West Indies out of trouble. The Indian bowling and the pitch had both, suddenly turned toothless and by the time the West Indians were completely dislodged, the Indians needed to score 180 for a win in a minimum of 47 overs.
Again, this was a target that most teams would back themselves to win in an ODI. This was a Test match alright, where the bowling side had a few more advantages – more bouncers allowed per over, better chance of spreading the field if things went wrong and a more liberal allowance to bowl wides.
And yet, there wasn’t a single stretch of play where it looked like India would be going after the target. Suresh Raina was promoted up the batting order but one would have thought that after that experiment failed, someone like a Dhoni himself or even a Harbhajan Singh could have been sent to scatter the bowling.
Instead, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman played out four overs for eight runs and the draw was called for with the 15 mandatory overs still remaining.
India did win the series 1-0 and there isn’t too much doubt that if the weather had held up better in the Test series, they may have even won all three. But when it came to making a statement as the world’s number one side and with the England series coming up, the Indians had woefully failed.
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