India Pick Off The West Indies For 63-Run Win

India Pick Off The West Indies For 63-Run Win

Ishant Sharma helped bowl India to a 63-run win on the final day in Jamaica

©REUTERS / Action Images

India 246 & 252 (Dravid 112) beat
West Indies 172 & 262 (Barath 64) by 63 runs
First Test, Kingston
Scorecard

India saw off the West Indies' resistance to bowl them out for 262 and take a 63-run win in the first Test in Kingston, Jamaica, shortly after lunch on the fourth day.

The West Indies had resumed on 131 for three chasing 326 to win but lost wickets at a rapid pace in the morning session and although the lower order rallied, India proved to be too strong.

Darren Bravo (41) was the first man to fall on the day when he was bowled - around his legs - by Praveen Kumar before Shivnarine Chanderpaul (30) and Carlton Baugh (0) fell as the West Indies lost three wickets for the addition of just two runs.

Brendan Nash (9) was the next to go when he was trapped in front by leg-spinner Amit Mishra after a delivery failed to bounce on him.

The lower order then gave India a bit of a fright as when Nash went the score was 150 for six and defeat looked imminent.

Darren Sammy carted three big sixes in a cameo of 25 in 11 balls before Ravi Rampaul played some fine strokes on his way to 34 in 32 balls, ended when he could only glove a brutal Ishant Sharma delivery to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

That left Fidel Edwards (15 not out) and Devendra Bishoo (26) as the last barrier and they showed their mettle with a 39-run partnership that at least took the game past the lunch break.

Eventually their partnership was broken when Suresh Raina bowled Bishoo to put India 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Rahul Dravid was named as the man of the match following his innings of 112 overs days two and three that set India on their way to a second-innings score of 272 which put them well clear.

They had been 86 for five on the opening morning of the match before they launched an impressive fightback.

© Cricket World 2011