May 20, 2002	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1423

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KINGSTON (Jamaica), May 19: Captain Carl Hooper departed early but Ridley Jacobs struck a brisk unbeaten 51 as West Indies reached 381 for five at lunch on the second day of the deciding fifth Test against India Sunday.

It was only the second time in the series that Hooper, who has scored an aggregate of 573 runs at an average of 95.5, failed to reach 50.

The 35-year-old, who had scored 233, 50, 22, 115 and 136 in his last five innings, was caught for 17 by Rahul Dravid running back from first slip when Hooper failed to get his bat out of the way of a rising ball from Javagal Srinath.

But Jacobs and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (38 not out) made sure India made no further breakthroughs with a breezy 89-run unbroken sixth-wicket partnership.

The 34-year-old Jacobs, who scored a century in his home town of Antigua in last week’s drawn fourth Test, looked in prime form.

He drove left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra for a straight four and lofted Srinath over his head for a one-bounce four and a six off consecutive balls.

Chanderpaul, who took his series aggregate to 483 at an average of 241.5, joined in, driving Zaheer Khan and Nehra through the off-side for fours before Jacobs smashed off-spinner Harbhajan Singh over long-off for his second six.

He raised his 50, off 75 balls, by sweeping Harbhajan to fine-leg for a quick two.

On Saturday, Wavell Hinds slammed his second Test century as West Indies piled up 287 for four on the first day.

The 25-year-old Hinds cracked a sparkling 113 before his home crowd as he shared in two key partnerships — 111 with fellow-opener Chris Gayle (68) and 135 with Ramnaresh Sarwan (65) — on the first day of the match after being sent in to bat by Indian captain Saurav Ganguly.

Harbhajan grabbed his 100th Test wicket as India’s bowlers hit back to an extent in the final session with three wickets for 18 runs, including that of star batsman Brian Lara for nine.

Hinds, who had struck 65 in the fourth Test after being recalled in place of Stuart Williams, looked in prime form as he recovered from a shaky start to punish India’s pace trio of Srinath, Zaheer and Nehra.

His stand with Gayle was the best for West Indies at the top of the order this series, beating the 65 they had scored on the flat batting pitch at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The Jamaican Hinds, who had scored 165 for his career-best knock against Pakistan at Bridgetown in the 1999-2000 season, edged left-arm paceman Nehra through the slip cordon for the day’s first four but had to wait for an hour for his second boundary.

Gayle flicked Zaheer to the mid-wicket boundary fence and hit him square of the wicket for two fours in an over and then drove him on the up for two consecutive straight fours.

He raised his 50 off 80 balls, sweeping Harbhajan for a couple to fine leg, before getting out cutting Zaheer straight to Wasim Jaffer at gully.

Hinds drove Nehra for two boundaries through the off side and brought up his 50 flicking Harbhajan to the mid-wicket fence.

He then danced down the track and lofted Harbhajan for two big sixes over long off and raised his century off 193 balls with a quick couple to square-leg.

Hinds celebrated by taking off his helmet and raising his bat in flourish towards the George Headley Stand even as members of the crowd ran on to the pitch to embrace the local boy.

But he was out soon after, lofting Harbhajan straight to Jaffer at long off to give the off-spinner his 100th scalp in his 25th Test.

Lara fell when he edged Nehra to wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra, who held on to a two-handed catch diving full-length to his left.

Sarwan played second fiddle to Hinds but batted fluently for his fifth half-century of the series before being dismissed by Harbhajan for a 130-ball knock that included seven fours.

The 21-year-old is yet to get a Test 100 despite having crossed the 50 mark 13 times in his career.

India were looking to rally after having reduced the home side to 264 for four, but Hooper and Chanderpaul, who have already aggregated 570 and 449 respectively in the series, held on until close.

Hooper got a chance on 10, when he drove Nehra straight to cover but Das dropped a sitter that could prove costly for the Indians.