Ojha Forces Follow-On Before West Indies Battle Back

Ojha Forces Follow-On Before West Indies Battle Back

Adrian Barath led the West Indian counter-attack with 62 in 105 balls in their second innings

©REUTERS / Action Images

India 631-7 dec. (Laxman 176no, Dhoni 144) v
West Indies 153 (Ojha 4-64) & 195-3 (Barath 62)
Second Test, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, day three
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two

The West Indies closed day three of the second Test in Kolkata trailing by 283 runs after they were asked to follow on by India.

Replying to the home side's mammoth first innings score of 631 for seven declared, they lost eight wickets before lunch to be bowled out for 153 but responded with an improved batting effort as they reached 195 for three thanks to half-centuries from Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards.

Pragyan Ojha took four wickets and Umesh Yadav three as the West Indies' first innings lasted just 48 overs in all while Ishant Sharma took two wickets when the tourists batted again as they began their mountainous task of saving the game.

Resuming in the precarious position of 34 for two, Ojha struck to remove Edwards trapped in front early on for 16 before Yadav had Darren Bravo (30) and Marlon Samuels (25) bowled.

Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed the big wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul for four when the left-hander was trapped in front before Ojha single-handedly ran through the lower order.

Carlton Baugh (13) and Fidel Edwards (16) were trapped in front, Darren Sammy (18) was caught behind and he then ran Kemar Roach out for two having become the quickest Indian left-arm spinner to reach 50 Test wickets.

The West Indies continued to struggle when they were asked to bat again as Kraigg Brathwaite hung his bat out and was caught by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Yadav for nine.

Barath (62) and Edwards (60) then steadied the ship with some solid defence and cavalier attacking play, Barath carving several attractive shots through the off side and Edwards muscularly hammering the slow bowlers down the ground and working the ball off his pads.

The pair put on an enterprising partnership worth 93 for the second wicket before Barath was well caught by VVS Laxman as he edged Sharma to the lone slip fielder.

Edwards then joined forces with Darren Bravo and they added 45 before Edwards was trapped in front by Sharma, defeated by a good delivery.

Bravo made his way to 38 not out in 84 balls and was not afraid to take the bowling on, hitting three sixes off the slow bowlers while Chanderpaul began to make up for his first-innings failure by becoming the fourth player to score 2000 Test runs against India en route to 21 not out in 40 balls.

Centuries from Laxman (176 not out), Dhoni (144) and Rahul Dravid (119) put India, who lead the series 1-0, in a commanding position.

© Cricket World 2011