October 11, 2002	Friday	Sha'aban 4, 1423

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MUMBAI, Oct 10: Rahul Dravid became the fourth batsman in Test history to score four successive centuries as India strengthened their grip on the second day of the first Test against West Indies Thursday.

The 29-year-old, who had scored 115 at Trent Bridge, 148 at Headingley and a career-best 217 at The Oval in his last three Test innings, made 100 off 242 balls before retiring hurt with muscular cramps and dehydration.

India were bowled out for 457 before West Indies struggled to the close on 33 for two in reply.

Dravid matches the achievements of South African Alan Melville, Australian Jack Fingleton and West Indian Everton Weekes, who went on to become the only man to hit five consecutive Test hundreds.

“It’s a great feeling to get another century,” Dravid said. “I think this is the best run of my career and I hope to keep it going.

“I was feeling a little dehydrated at tea and, after I started cramping, it became very difficult to continue.”

It was Dravid’s 14th Test century in 65 matches and proved invaluable for India, who had lost two wickets for just 15 runs early on Thursday after West Indies took the second new ball.

Dravid shared in a slow and steady 105-run stand for the fifth wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman (45) but wickets tumbled once Laxman was stumped by Ridley Jacobs off leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo.

First, Dravid walked back to the pavilion immediately after limping for two runs to square leg to bring up his century.

Then Harbhajan Singh was caught behind off seamer Cameron Cuffy for a first-ball duck and Nagamootoo dismissed Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan, both for ducks off successive balls.

Javagal Srinath (31) negotiated the hat trick ball safely before adding 49 for the ninth wicket with wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, who finished unbeaten on 21.

Paceman Mervyn Dillon, who captured both wickets to fall on Wednesday, earlier had Sachin Tendulkar (35) edging an attempted cut shot outside the off stump to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs, who grabbed his 150th Test victim.

Cuffy took the fourth wicket when he had Indian captain Saurav Ganguly adjudged lbw by umpire Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka.

But the left-hander, who scored four, may have been unlucky as television replays indicated the ball had pitched outside leg stump.

Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan struck first, trapping opener Chris Gayle leg before with a ball that cut back in after pitching on leg-stump.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh then had Wavell Hinds caught pat-bad by substitute Shiv Sundar Das for one.