June 16, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1427

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GROS ISLET (St Lucia), June 15: A 32nd Test century by captain Brian Lara steered the West Indies to a draw against India for the second consecutive Test on Wednesday.

West Indies finished the fifth and final day of the second Test on 294 for seven, still 79 runs short of making India bat again.

Lara struck 120, his highest Test score against India, compiled from 307 balls with 10 boundaries. He received able support from Shivnarine Chanderpaul (54) and Dwayne Bravo (47) in his match-saving effort.

India struck a major blow when they removed Lara in the 11th over after tea, off-spinner Virender Sehwag winning a close lbw decision.

But Bravo then dug in with the lower order to deny the visitors, who were also thwarted by the loss of the entire fourth day to poor weather.

Ian Bradshaw scored just a single but stayed at the crease for 40 balls, surviving confident lbw appeals from Munaf Patel and Anil Kumble, before eventually being trapped dead in front in the penultimate over by Patel.

Bravo and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin batted sensibly together for 9.1 overs after losing captain Lara, before Bravo fell to a smart bat-pad catch by Yuvraj Singh off leg spinner Kumble.

Ramdin scored a fighting 19 not out off 62 deliveries, surviving a chance 15 minutes before the close when India captain Rahul Dravid parried an awkward, dipping catch at second slip off the admirable Patel to the boundary.

India scored 588 for eight declared in their first innings and then bowled the West Indies out for a meagre 215. India enforced the follow-on and if it had not been for the showers that washed out Tuesday's play, they would have had two days and a session in which to bowl the hosts out for a second time.

India managed to get rid of the experienced Chanderpaul an hour into the second session when the left-hander skied a pull off a Kumble full toss to Irfan Pathan at mid-on.

Chanderpaul made 54 in a 129-run fourth-wicket stand in 29.4 overs with Lara.

Kumble was the most successful of the Indian bowlers with three for 98 in 42 overs.

West Indies began the day on 43 for one, having to survive for 109.3 overs and needing to reach 373 runs to make India bat again. Lara steadily chipped away at both targets, going into lunch on 66 not out.

Dravid praised Lara for the battling century.

“We knew we had a chance if we could get some wickets early on. We did that, but Lara played really well. It was a fantastic innings under pressure,” Dravid told reporters.

“He batted beautifully and played our spinners really well,” Dravid added.

India were denied victory in the first Test in Antigua by West Indies' last-wicket pair, but Dravid said his team were still optimistic about winning the four-Test series.

“We had a chance towards the end here as well but we should be positive about the two games. We dominated three days in Antigua and four days here. The boys should be proud and happy with what they've achieved,” Dravid said.

Lara was thrilled by his innings after a poor recent run.

“I haven't scored some runs for a while and I knew I had to be a lot more consistent for my team mates. All in all, I enjoyed the innings. It showed me the patience I need to see out the remainder of the series and I'm going to try as much as possible to ensure that I bat in the same way,” Lara said.

The West Indies captain, who hails from Trinidad, said he had drawn inspiration from his country's excellent start at soccer's World Cup in Germany when they held Sweden to a 0-0 draw.

“Watching the Soca Warriors, they had to battle 90 minutes for a draw. We had 98 overs to do it. That was the reason why we got out there and tried to do it,” Lara said.

“We knew that we could not win the game, we just had to survive. The gods smiled on us yesterday, we had a free day and it was nice to see us survive,” Lara added.

The teams move on to St Kitts for the third Test starting on June 22.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 588-8 declared (V. Sehwag 180, Mohammad Kaif 148 not out, R. Dravid 146).

WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 215.

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings):

C.H. Gayle c Dhoni b Pathan 2

D. Ganga b Kumble 26

B.C. Lara lbw b Sehwag 120

R.R. Sarwan c Dhoni b Patel 1

S. Chanderpaul c Pathan b Kumble 54

D.J.J. Bravo c Yuvraj b Kumble 47

D. Ramdin not out 19

I.D.R. Bradshaw lbw b Patel 1

J.E. Taylor not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-15, PR-5) 24

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 119 overs) 294

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-51, 3-52, 4-181, 5-252, 6-277, 7-291.

BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 15-2-50-1; Munaf Patel 21-7-50-2 (4nb); V.R. Singh 11-0-39-0 (4nb); Kumble 42-10-98-3 (6nb); Sehwag 30-9-48-1.

RESULT: Match drawn.

UMPIRES: S.J.A. Taufel (Australia) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Virender Sehwag.

FIRST TEST: St John’s, match drawn.

THIRD TEST: Basseterre, June 22-26.

FOURTH TEST: Kingston, June 30-July 4.

—Agencies