BANGALORE, Oct 4: Left-hander Dinesh Mongia cracked an unbeaten 101 to stake his claim for a Test slot on the first day of a three-day tour match against West Indies Friday.
Mongia hit 12 fours and three sixes in an entertaining 147-ball knock before Indian Board President’s XI captain Mohammad Kaif declared at 275 for eight.
The 25-year-old Mongia was a member of the Indian squad during a five-Test series in the Caribbean earlier this year but could not force his way into a batting middle order boasting Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman and did not play in any of the matches.
West Indian paceman Mervyn Dillon started Friday’s game with two early blows after Kaif won the toss and elected to bat first.
BOARD PRESIDENT’S XI (1st Innings):
S.B. Bangar c Chanderpaul b Dillon 2
G. Gambhir c W. Hinds b Dillon 11
H.K. Badani b Collins 67
Mohammad Kaif c Sarwan b Hooper 40
D. Mongia not out 101
P.A. Patel c and b Nagamootoo 5
M. Kartik b Lawson 1
Sarandeep Singh c Sarwan b Lawson 7
A. Mishra run out 10
T. Yohannan not out 6
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-1, NB-15) 25
TOTAL (for eight decl, 83 overs) 275
FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-17, 3-108, 4-158, 5-166, 6-178, 7-186, 8-242.
DID NOT BAT: L. Balaji.
BOWLING: Dillon 18-4-53-2; Collins 21-3-52-1 (4nb); Lawson 14-2-57-2 (1w); Nagamootoo 17-3-56-1 (5nb); Hooper 13-2-48-1 (6nb).
WEST INDIES (1st Innings):
C.H. Gayle not out 14
W.W. Hinds not out 5
EXTRAS (NB-1) 1
TOTAL (for no wkt, five overs) 20
TO BAT: R.R. Sarwan, S. Chanderpaul, C.L. Hooper, R.O. Hinds, R.D. Jacobs, M.V. Nagamootoo, M. Dillon, P.T. Collins, J.J.E. Lawson.
BOWLING (to-date): Bangar 2-1-3-0; Balaji 2-0-13-0 (1nb); Sarandeep Singh 1-0-4-0.—Reuters