ST. JOHN’S (Antigua), May 10: Opener Wasim Jaffer led the charge with a fluent 48 as India reached 73 for one by lunch Friday after being asked to bat by West Indies on the first day of the fourth Test.
Jaffer, who scored a half-century in the third Test at Barbados, struck seven fours and shared in an unbroken 60-run stand for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid, who was on 21, after Shiv Dundar Das was bowled for 3.
India were bundled out for 102 in their first innings at Barbados as West Indies won by 10 wickets to level the series 1-1.
The visitors lost Das early when he dragged a wideish delivery from left-arm paceman Pedro Collins on to his stumps, but Jaffer and Dravid dug in on a good batting track to ensure there were no further mishaps.
Jaffer cut paceman Cameron Cuffy to the point fence for his first boundary and then drove him through the covers for four more.
The opener, playing his fourth Test, then rocked on the backfoot and cut Collins for three boundaries through the off-side before steering him to the third-man fence.
He was fortunate on 46, when he edged Cuffy just short of Brian Lara at first slip.
Dravid, who had scored an unbeaten 144 in the first drawn Test at Georgetown, played the anchor role by keeping the scoreboard ticking over with ones and twos.
India, who won the second Test at Trinidad by 37 runs, brought leg-spinner Anil Kumble back into the side in place of off-break bowler Harbhajan Singh.
West Indies also made one change, bringing in left-hander Wavell Hinds in place of opener Stuart Williams.
Scoreboard
INDIA (1st innings)
S.Das b Collins 3
W.Jaffer not out 48
R.Dravid not out 21
EXTRAS (lb-1) 1
TOTAL (for one wicket, 29 overs) 73
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13
TO BAT: S. Tendulkar, S. Ganguly, V. Laxman, A. Ratra, A.Kumble, Zaheer.Khan, J. Srinath, A. Nehra