CASTRIES (St Lucia), April 28: Dinesh Mongia struck a patient 67 but could not save India from the embarrassment of following on on the final day of their three-day game against a Busta XI side Sunday.

After being bowled out for a paltry 150 in their first innings reply to the home side’s 437, India reached lunch at 22 for one in their second innings.

The visitors began the day on their overnight score of 73 for seven and Mongia and Sarandeep Singh lifted them to some respectability with an eighth-wicket stand of 50.

But after Sarandeep was dismissed by all-rounder Gareth Breese for 32, the rest of the innings fell away, Breese finishing with a return of two for 19 and leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine claiming figures of four for 49.

Mongia top-scored with his careful 67, having reached his fifty, off 181 balls, with two runs to deep cover and then hoisting Ramnarine for a six and a four over mid-wicket.

Batting a second time, India then lost an early wicket when Shiv Sundar Das was leg before for no score to left-arm paceman Pedra Collins, offering no shot to a delivery pitched on off-stump.

Wasim Jaffer, on 12, and Deep Dasgupta, on six, guided India to the interval without further loss.

On Saturday, Wavell Hinds had staked his claim for a Test spot with a swashbuckling 175.

Scoreboard

BUSTA XI (1st Innings):

D. Ganga b Kumble 5

D. Smith b Sarandeep 91

W.W. Hinds b Harbhajan 175

R. Morton c Yohannan b H’jan 33

R.O. Hinds c and b Kumble 10

R.D. Jacobs not out 55

G. Breese c Laxman b Yohannan 15

D. Ramnarine c S’deep b Bangar 15

K.C.B. Jeremy lbw b Bangar 7

P.T. Collins lbw b Yohannan 5

D. Powell b Yohannan 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-10, W-4, NB-11) 26

TOTAL (all out, 104.2 overs) 437

FALL OF WKTS: 1-35, 2-250, 3-303, 4-334, 5-334, 6-381, 7-412, 8-426, 9-435.

BOWLING: Yohannan 19.2-2-84-3 (9nb); Bangar 18-1-92-2 (4w); Kumble 30-2-112-2; Harbhajan Singh 19-2-58-2; Sarandeep Singh 18-1-80-1 (2nb).

INDIA (1st Innings):

S.S. Das c Breese b Jeremy 13

W. Jaffer lbw b Collins 0

D. Dasgupta b Ramnarine 7

D. Mongia c Powell b Breese 67

S.B. Bangar run out 1

V.V.S. Laxman b Ramnarine 4

A. Ratra lbw b Powell 0

A.R. Kumble c R. Hinds b R’rine 11

Sarandeep Singh c Morton b Breese 32

Harbhajan Singh c Powell b R’rine 0

T. Yohannan not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-11) 15

TOTAL (all out, 68.1 overs) 150

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-20, 3-20, 4-40, 5-45, 6-51, 7-72, 8-122, 9-123.

BOWLING: Collins 15-2-46-1 (7nb); Powell 11-2-16-1; Jeremy 10-3-16-1; Ramnarine 23-7-49-4 (4nb); Breese 9.1-2-19-2.

INDIA (2nd Innings):

S.S. Das lbw b Collins 0

Wasim Jaffer not out 12

D. Dasgupta not out 6

EXTRAS (NB-4) 4

TOTAL (for one wkt, 10 overs) 22

FALL OF WKT: 1-2.

BOWLING (to-date): Collins 4-0-12-1 (4nb); Powell 4-2-5-0; R.O. Hinds 1-0-1-0; Ramnarine 1-0-4-0.—Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...