Windies get an effortless ten-wicket win over India
By A. C. De Silva
FLASHBACK: Around 20 minutes before the lunch interval on the fourth
day tall batsman Cammie Smith - a Barbados Insurance salesman had hit a
'no-ball' from Indian bowler Surti for a boundary to send West Indeis
one-up in the Test series by virtue of a ten-wicket victory over India
at Queen's Park Oval.
|
Jackie Hendricks – the wicket-keeper, made 64 in the batting
in the first innings. |
|
Sir Garfield Sobers came off in a allround performance in
both batting and bowling. He took 2 for 28, scored 40, took
4 for 22 in the second innings and India were shot out for
98 in the second innings and helped West Indies a great deal
to clinch victory. |
In the dressing room interviews that followed the names of Hall,
Durrani, Hendriks, Borde, Umrigar, Sobers, Kanhai and Hunte figures
prominently not only by pressmen, but by Frank Worrell and Nari
Contractor. It was the correct thing to do as those were the heroes of
one of the most astonishing Tests ever played on this ground.
Even before a ball was bowled the air was thick with news-making
speculations. Speculations followed the announcement of the home team
which included three fast bowlers - Hall, Stayers, Watson - omitting
batsman Nurse.
Then in the Indian camp, their two key batsmen, Jaisimha and the
Nawab of Pataudi, were not available - Jaisimha had fractured the third
finger as his left hand while fielding in an earlier match and Pataudi's
groin injury, sustained in the opening fixture of the series had not
responded to treatment.
So, Contractor - the Indian captain had something to think about and
he won the all - important toss for the seventh successive time and
quite rightly decided to bat.
Hall difficult cumtomer
But India didn't have an easy time against Hall - the speedster of
West Indies wrenched away the advantage as Indian opener had no answer
to the speed and the late inswinger. Hendricks took the ball as it came
off the outer edge of the bat and India was off to a shock start - 7 for
one.
The Indian wickets started to fall ever so quickly. Five wickets of
India were down for 76 and then at close on the first day, India were
six wickets down for 113 with the Windies doing the damage. Hall's
faster ball got him the wickets. It was two down for 32 and then it
became three for 38 when Manjrekar dragged the ball from Stayers on to
his wicket. Thereafter Dardesai and Borde played sensible cricket,
keeping their bats close to the pads, deflecting the pushing, rather
than going for strokes.
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Salin Durrani – scored 56 out of Indian total of 203 in the first innings
against West Indies.
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Rusi Surti made 57 in Indian total of 203 in the first
innings. Both Durrani and Surti put in a seventh wicket
partnership of 89 runs for the seventh wicket. |
|
Conrad Hunte made 58 for West Indies when he opened for the
Windies to help them make 289 in first innings against
India.
|
Wesley Hall – took 2 for 38 and 3 for 11 in bowling in the
Test and also made an useful knock of 37 not out and helped
West Indies to make 289 in the first innings. |
Hall accounted for two wickets before lunch, Stayers took three and
Watson had easily caught by Sobers. So, the West Indies had the upper
hand at the end of the first day.
The West Indies did not stop their 'killing approach' but then
Durrani hit 56 and Surti made 57 and they were solid runs against
the same West Indian attack and India finally closed up at 203 runs
in their first innings. It was a much better total than what the critics
expected.
Indian skipper Contractor led the India team well called upon Umrigar
to bowl early and the latter did not disappoint. He bowled Sobers for 40
with the score at 136 - that was the third wicket and then at 139,
Worrell, who had been most uncomfortable for 14 runless minutes, served
up the simplest of catches to Surti in the slips off Durrani. One run
later, Hunte's patience lapsed and Durrani had his caught and bowled; so
that West Indies were 6 wickets down for 148 when play ended on that
Saturday.
Came Monday morning and the West Indies were on the look out for
quick runs and Hall hit hard to collect 37 not out and West Indies had
finally-posted 289 runs in their first innings.
Nothing wrong with wicket
The first three days had shown that there was nothing wrong with the
wicket.
The totals of both sides represented a story of hasty batting,
accurate bowling and superb fielding, while both Worrell and Contractor
displayed clever captaincy.
Thus it was a pity that the Indians for the second time threw away
the advantage. Hall, with all the fury blew out Contractor,
Manjrekar and Sardesai in four balls, a hit for two by Sardesai
barely stop-signing the hat-trick. Those four deliveries just after tea
not only decided the game but made a hole worth about 20,000 dollars
into the credit account of the West Indies Cricket Board, as once those
wickets went down there was no fight left in the Indians - and two days
yawned ahead.
By lunch - to be more precise, 20 minutes to the interval- all was
over on the fourth day. Token resistance came from Umrigar (23) and
invaluable Borde (27), but there the story ended. India were all out for
98 in their second turn.
Finally West Indies had to make a mere 13 runs from victory and Smith
and Hunte aided by some no-balls by Surti got the required runs to draw
the curtain on a eventful first Test.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA - 1ST INININGS
N.J. Contractor c Sobers b Hall 10
V. Mehra c Hendricks b Hall 00
V.L. Manjrekar b Stayers 19
D.N. Sardesaic Solomon b Stayers 16
P.R. Umrigar c Sobers b Watson 02
C.G. Borde c Gibbs b Stayers 16
S.A. Durrani c and b Sobers 56
R.F. Surti st. Smith b Sobers 57
R.G. Nadkarni run out 02
F.M. Engineer c Rodriguez b Gibbs 03
R.B. Desai not out 04
Extras 18
Total 203
Fall of Wickets: 1-7, 2-32, 3-38, 4-45, 5-76, 6-89
7-170, 8-186, 9-194
Bowling: W. Hall 20-6-38-2
Watson 12-4-20-1
Stayers 18-1-65-3
L. Gibbs 14-4-34-1
G. Sobers 9.3-1-28-2
WEST INDIES - 1ST INNINGS
C Hunte c and b Durrani 58
C Smith c Umrigar b Desai 12
R. Kanhai c and b Borde 24
G. Sobers b Umrigar 40
F. Worrell c Surti b Durrani 00
G. Solomon c Engineer b Desai 43
Stayersc Borde b Durrani 04
J. Hendricks c Durrani b Umrigar 64
L. Gibbs c Durrani b Umrigar 00
W. Hall not out 37
W. Watson c Contractor b Durrani 00
Extras 07
Total 289
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-37, 3-136, 4-139, 5-140
6-148, 7-212, 8-217, 9-237
Bowling: R.B. Desai 13-3-46-2
P. Umrigar 35-8-77-2
S. Durrani 35.2-9-82-4
C. Borde 25-4-65-2
R. Nadkarni 3-2-1-0
R. Surti 2-0-11-0
INDIA - 2nd INNINGS
N.J. Contractor b Hall 06
V. Mehra b Stayers 08
V.L. Manjrekar hit Wkt b Hal l0
D.N. Sardesai c Smith b Hal l2
P.R. Umrigar c Rodrigues (sub)b Sobers 23
C.G.Borde b Sobers 27
S.A. Durrani c Worrell b Sobers 07
R.F. Surti c Rodrigues (sub)Sobers 00
R.G. Nadkarni not out 12
F.M. Engineer c and b Gibbs 02
R.B. Desai c Kanhai b Gibbs 02
Extras 09
Total 98
Fall of Wickets: 1-6, 2-6, 3-8, 4-35, 5-56, 6-70
7-70, 8-91, 9-94
Bowling: W. Hall 8-3-11-3
W. Watson 4-2-6-0
Stayers 8-4-20-1
L. Gibbs 7.5-1-16-2
G. Sobers 15-7-22-4
F. Worrell 8-2-14-0
WEST INDIES - 2ND INNINGS
C. Hunte not out 10
C. Smith not out 04
Extras (for no loss) 01
Total 15
Bowling: R. Desai 1-0-5-0
R. Surti 0.4-0-9-0 |
