Report from India's tour to Windies

Gros Islet, St. Lucia (AFP)
Brian Lara collected his 32nd Test hundred to earnWest Indies a hard-fought draw in the rain-marred second Test against India onWednesday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.The 37-year-old Lara hit 120-onlyhis second Test hundred against the Indians-as West Indies, following on 373runs behind of first innings, finished on 294 for seven in their second inningsto leave the four-Test series level at 0-0.Lara reached his hundred when hesquare drove Irfan Pathan for the ninth of his 10 boundaries and drew level withformer Australia captain Steve Waugh for the third highest number of Testhundreds.India's Sachin Tendulkar, who was prevented from making this trip byinjury, heads the list with 35 Test hundreds. Compatriot Sunil Gavaskar issecond on the list with 34, and Lara and Waugh follow.The West Indies captainbattled away for a little over 6-1/2 hours and faced 307 balls to give WestIndies their lifeline.He added 129 for the fourth wicket with his predecessorShivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored 54, and put on 71 for the fifth wicket withcompatriot Dwayne Bravo, who made 47.Anil Kumble was the most successful Indianbowler with three wickets for 98 runs from 42 overs, and Munaf Patel took twofor 50 from 21 overs.Virender Sehwag, who scored 180 in India's mammoth firstinnings total of 588 for eight declared and snared four wickets in the Test, wonthe Man-of-the-Match award.West Indies continued from their bedtime total onthe third day of 43 for one, after a complete washout of the entire fourth day,and suffered two setbacks in the first half-hour.No strokeKumble, who becameTest cricket's fourth highest wicket-taker, completely bamboozled Daren Gangawith a googly and bowled him for 26 offering no stroke.Sarwan, the West Indiesvice captain, whose batting helped the home team clinch the precedinglimited-overs series, again failed, when he was caught behind for one off awell-pitched out-swinger from Patel to leave West Indies 52 for three.Lara andChanderpaul showed level heads however, to defy the Indian attack for the restof the morning, and carried West Indies to 130 for three at lunch.Lara hadinside-edged a drive at a flighted delivery outside the off-stump from Kumblefor two to the fine leg region to bring up his 50.After the interval, Lara andChanderpaul, easily West Indies' two most experienced batsman, continued merrilyalong their way.Chanderpaul swung Anil Kumble behind square for his sixth fourto reach his 50, but trying to hit a full toss from the leg-spin bowler overmid-wicket he was caught at mid-on for 54. He struck half-dozen boundaries from113 balls in just under three hours.Lara continued to bat with grit and arrivedat his landmark. He looked set for a much larger innings, when the umpire AsadRauf dubiously adjudged him lbw to Sehwag to a ball that television replaysclearly showed pitched outside off-stump and spun away.His departure energisedIndia, and bearing in mind West Indies' capitulation in their second innings ofthe first Test, the visitors moved in for the kill. Bravo had shown greatapplication for close 2-1/2 hours in which he struck three fours and one sixfrom 124 balls before he was caught at short leg turning a ball from Kumble intothe hands of the fielder.West Indies were 277 for six, and 19 overs stillremained, when Ian Bradshaw sauntered to the wicket.He spent 40 minutes and 40balls over one run before he was adjudged lbw to Patel in a final burst, butmost importantly, he had exhausted enough time to save West Indies from blushes.The first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground ended in a tense draw, with theWest Indies' last wicket pair of Edwards and Collymore surviving the last 19balls of the match. The series concludes with Tests at Basseterre (June 22-26),and Kingston (June 30-July 4).