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| June 06, 2006 | Tuesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1427 |
Jaffer and Dravid wrest initiative for India
ST JOHN'S (Antigua), June 5: Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid shared a century stand to earn India control of the first Test against West Indies on Monday. India were 308 for two in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day, which put them 178 runs ahead.
The visitors were dismissed for 241 in their first innings, to which West Indies replied with 371.
Jaffer faced 326 balls and hit 20 fours and a six in his career-best 172 not out, while Dravid was unbeaten on 50.
Opener Jaffer's previous highest score was the 100 he scored against England in Nagpur in March.
Dravid eked out his runs off 141 balls, hitting just two fours.
Jaffer and Dravid put on 161 for the unbroken third wicket in a partnership that started in the 10th over after tea on Sunday.
India resumed on 215 for two and Jaffer scored steadily to add 59 of the 93 runs that were scored in the 28 overs that were bowled in Monday's morning session.
West Indies' only genuine opportunity to separate the pair came with the eighth ball of the day when medium pacer Dwayne Bravo found the edge of Jaffer's bat with the centurion still on his overnight score of 113 not out.
The ball flew to the right of first slip, where Chris Gayle dived full length but failed to hold a difficult chance.
Jaffer scored 136 runs before hitting his only six, which arched over the long-on boundary after he danced down the pitch to drive a delivery from left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed.
In an apparent attempt to avoid conceding more runs, West Indies captain Brian Lara delayed taking the new ball until the fourth over after it was due.
The move had the desired effect, as just 28 runs were scored in the 13.1 overs bowled with the new ball before lunch.
But West Indies were still no closer to taking a wicket, which they last did 56.2 overs ago.
On Sunday Jaffer, whose previous highest score was the 100 against England in Nagpur in March, shared an opening stand of 72 with Virender Sehwag (41), added 75 for the second wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman (31)
Scoreboard
INDIA (1st Innings) 241.
WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 371 (C.H. Gayle 72, D.J.J. Bravo 68, R.R. Sarwan 58).
INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 215-2):
Wasim Jaffer not out 172
V. Sehwag c Gayle b Collymore 41
V.V.S. Laxman c Bradshaw b Mohammed 31
R. Dravid not out 50
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-4, NB-7) 14
TOTAL (for two wkts, 96 overs) 308
FALL OF WKTS: 1-72, 2-147.
BOWLING (to-date): Edwards 5.4-2-16-0; Collymore 23-8-50-1 (3nb, 2w); Bradshaw 22-3-73-0 (2nb); Bravo 19.2-4-66-0 (1nb, 1w); Mohammed 15-2-67-1; Gayle 7-2-18-0; Sarwan 4-0-15-0. —Agencies
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