India's dream of an overseas series win once again suffered a setback as theycrashed to a humiliating ten-wicket defeat in the third Test against the WestIndies at the Kensington Oval to squander a 1-0 advantage in the five-matchseries.
On a ground that has been historically troublesome for them, India just aboutmanaged to avert an innings defeat, and were shot out for 296 in their secondinnings thus setting a target of only five runs for the West Indies for aseries-levelling win. Skipper Sourav Ganguly remained unbeaten on 60, thetop-score of the innings.
West Indies, who enjoyed a 292-run first innings lead, knocked off therequired runs without any trouble, the winning shot coming from the bat ofStuart Williams who hit Harbhajan Singh for a four in the second over.
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India's low total in the second innings followed their paltry 102 in thefirst innings to which West Indies replied with 394, thanks to centuries byskipper Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
India have now lost seven of the eight matches they have contested at theKensington Oval here, with only the history-making 1971 team under Ajit Wadekarmanaging to play out a draw.
The inevitable was delayed by a defiant 74-run partnership for the eighthwicket between Ganguly and Zaheer Khan who dazzled in his career-best knock of46 off just 45 balls after India had lost a few quick wickets in the morning.
India resumed at their overnight 169 for four and lost V.V.S. Laxman in thesixth over of the day with the addition of just 14 runs. The Hyderabad batsmanonce again flattered only to deceive. He played some elegant shots on theoff-side before snicking Pedro Collins to Hooper in the slips.
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Laxman slashed and cut Collins for three fours before his dismissal on 43,having batted for 104 minutes and hitting seven fours from 88 balls.
Like in the first innings, Ganguly was left to wage a lone and grim battle inthe company of the tail-enders which included wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra. Theyoungster showed his best form of the tour so far but could
not go beyond 13 when he was ruled out leg before to Dillon in his first overwith the second new ball. He batted for 45 minutes and hit two fours from 33balls.
Harbhajan Singh's poor run with the bat continued and he was out for onlythree runs and India had lost three quick wickets for the addition of 29 runs inthe morning.
But Zaheer Khan was a revelation today. After overcoming a hesitant start,Zaheer Khan pulled Adam Sanford for a six over mid-wicket and followed it upwith another in the same fashion in the bowler's next over. Sanford, who wasalso hit for two fours by Ganguly, conceded 24 runs in those two overs and waspromptly taken off.
The two batsmen brought India within seven runs of the 292-run mark whenZaheer Khan was dismissed off the first ball of the last over before lunch.
Zaheer Khan tried to drive Ramanaresh Sarwan but only managed an edge to givea low catch to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs. Sarwan, who has been very impressivewith the bat in this series, picked up his first Test wicket.
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More was in store for Sarwan when India resumed after lunch at 285 for eight.Javagal Srinath's attempted drive off the first ball after break flew straightto Chris Gayle at gully and Sarwan found himself at the threshold of ahat-trick.
Ashish Nehra denied Sarwan that distinction and the Indians wiped off thedeficit in the next over by Cameron Cuffy after which Ganguly hit the bowler fora boundary. Those four runs was all that the Indians managed as lead and Nehrawas caught by Pedro Collins at long-on in the next over to give Mervyn Dillonhis fourth wicket of the innings and eighth of the match. Dillon was adjudgedthe man of the match.
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Ganguly remained unbeaten in both the innings, having top-scored with 48 notout in the first innings too. He batted with a lot of patience today andstubbornly held on to his end even while wickets kept tumbling from the other.
The two teams now move to Antigua for the fourth Test which starts on May 10.
PTI
