April 25, 2002	Thursday	Safar 11, 1423

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PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), April 24: Pace trio Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan bowled India to a dramatic 37-run win over West Indies in the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval here Tuesday.

Srinath and Nehra grabbed three wickets apiece and Zaheer chipped in with two key scalps as India recorded their first Test win in the Caribbean in over 26 years, bowling out West Indies for 275 after setting them a victory target of 313.

India had last won at the same venue in 1976, when they successfully chased a world record 403 in the fourth innings.

Left-arm fast bowler Nehra struck the crucial blows when he dismissed overnight batsmen Brian Lara (47) and Carl Hooper (22) cheaply in his first spell.

But things looked ominous for India when left-handers Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle (52), who retired hurt due to wrist cramps Monday, added 73 for the fifth wicket.

Left-arm paceman Zaheer started the slide when he had Gayle driving straight to Harbhajan Singh at point.

Junior Murray was run out for one and Srinath bowled Mervyn Dillon for a first-ball duck to reduce the hosts to 238 for seven.

Srinath then had Marlon Black (3) caught at forward short-leg and Nehra bowled Adam Sanford off an inside edge for one.

Last-man Cameron Cuffy was caught by Sanjay Bangar at gully off Zaheer to close out the match 70 minutes after tea and give India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The Indians celebrated, uprooting the wickets and getting together in a congratulatory huddle before running into the pavilion as fans waving the Indian tri-colours stormed the field.

West Indies had stumbled to 164 for four but the last recognised pair of Chanderpaul, who scored a career-best 140 at Georgetown, and Gayle steadied the innings and got them within sight of victory.

Chanderpaul edged Nehra just wide of second slip for his first boundary and drove Harbhajan through the covers for four more.

Gayle, who hit eight boundaries in all, drove Nehra for a straight four and hit two glorious cover drives off Harbhajan before bringing up his patient 163-ball 50 with a single to square-leg.

But after his departure, it was just a matter of time.

Chanderpaul, who had cracked a career-best 140 at Georgetown, raised his 50, off 98 balls, slashing Zaheer over the slip cordon for four but soon ran out of partners as he fought a lonely battle.

Vangipurappu Laxman, who also scored a valuable unbeaten 69 in the first innings, was named Man-of-the-Match ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who hit 117 to equal Australian Don Bradman’s 29 Test centuries.