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GEORGETOWN (Guyana), April 12: Carl Hooper hit an unbeaten 147 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul added 106 not out as West Indies took command of the first Test against India, reaching 361 for four by lunch on the second day on Friday.
Building on their overnight 270-4, the two dispatched India’s listless bowling attack to all corners of the Bourda ground.
Chanderpaul hammered 19 boundaries and Hooper had 20 fours and one six as the Guyanese pair added 204 for the fifth wicket to thrill their hometown fans despite overcast skies and a light drizzle towards the end of the session.
Left-hander Chanderpaul was the early aggressor on day two as he drove paceman Javagal Srinath down the ground for a four and cut him backward of point for another boundary.
The 27-year-old pulled left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan to the square leg fence and then steered him through a vacant third man area for four more.
He cut leg-spinner Anil Kumble backward of point and flicked him for three runs to bring up his third Test hundred in 176 balls.
Chanderpaul punched the air and knelt to kiss the pitch in a touching celebration as the 8,000 in the stands give him a huge ovation.
Chanderpaul and Hooper are the first pair of Guyana players to score a century in the same test match at the Bourda ground.
Indian have not won a Test series outside South Asia since beating England in 1985-86.
FIRST DAY: Captain Carl Hooper led from the front, hammering a masterful unbeaten 108 as West Indies piled up 270 for four at stumps on the first day.
The 35-year-old skipper shared in a patient 113-run stand for the fourth wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan (53) and added another brisk 113 runs for the fifth with Shivnaraine Chanderpaul (57 not out).
Hooper brought up his 11th Test hundred, cutting leg-spinner Anil Kumble to the third-man fence as the more eager members of the crowd charged towards the pitch to congratulate him.
He hammered 14 fours and a straight six off Kumble in front of his home crowd at the Bourda cricket ground.
The fans were delighted to see all three members of the team’s Guyanan middle-order turn things around after a fiery opening spell from paceman Javagal Srinath.
Hooper may have been dismissed for a first-ball duck to Srinath but wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta failed to hold onto a difficult chance off the inside edge.
Sarwan raised his 10th Test 50, off 152 balls, with a single to square leg off Sarandeep Singh, who was introduced as late as the 45th over by captain Saurav Ganguly.
Sarandeep removed Sarwan for 53, beating him in the air and having him caught at mid-off by Zaheer Khan.
But Chanderpaul launched an onslaught almost immediately, making the Indian bowlers look most ordinary as he cut Sarandeep for consecutive boundaries and drove Kumble to the long-off fence for another of his 10 fours.
The left-hander got a life on 49 when he edged an attempted sweep off Sarandeep but Dasgupta floored a simple chance.
WEST INDIES (1st innings) (overnight 270-4)
C.Gayle c Dasgupta b Srinath 12
S.Williams lbw b Srinath 13
R.Sarwan c Khan b Singh 53
B.Lara c Dasgupta b Srinath 0
C.Hooper not out 147
S.Chanderpaul not out 106
EXTRAS (b-1 lb-3 nb-24 w-2) 30
TOTAL (for four wickets, 115 overs) 361
FALL OF WKTS: 1-20 2-37 3-44 4-157
TO BAT: Murray, M.Dillon, C.Cuffy, A.Sanford, M.Nagamootoo.
BOWLING (to date): Srinath 25-5-76-3 (nb-3), Khan 24-6-78-0 (nb-13 w-1), Bangar 23-5-60-0 (w-1), Kumble 26-4-90-0 (nb-4), Ganguly 2-1-2-0 (nb-1), S.Singh 15-5-51-1 (nb-3).—Reuters
