A dramatic 16-run victory over the West Indies in a low-scoring thriller keptIndia on course for a berth in the tri-series final today.
After a pathetic batting display restricted India to a paltry 162 in 39.3overs, the bowlers responded to the challenge magnificently to skittle out theCaribbeans for 146 in 40.5 overs in a must-win encounter at the Kinrara Oval.
The West Indies got off to a reasonably good start with ShivnarineChanderpaul and Runako Morton putting on 44 runs before losing the plotcompletely and fell like a pack of cards to give the Indians their first win inthe series.
Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 3-35 as the bowlers stuck tothe task admirably on a track which was not too conducive for strokeplay.
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The Indians, who needed to win both their league matches for a place in thefinal, now face the stiff task of putting it across world champions Australia intheir last league engagement on Friday to confirm a place in the September 24final.
The West Indies, who have already secured a place in the final, are atop thetable with nine points while Australia are in second position with seven points.India have six points to their credit after three matches.
The West Indies had the liberty to experiment by resting their pacespearheads Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor besides shuffling the batting orderwith Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Brian Lara coming way down the order.
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India's batsmen failed to make the most of the second string Caribbean attackbut their bowlers exploited to the hilt the West Indian rearranged battingcombination.
Besides Sachin Tendulkar's composed 65, Harbhajan was the star performer ofthe day for India, excelling with both bat and ball.
His cavalier 37 gave the team a total to fight and defend, and the Punjaboffie then tied down the West Indian batsman with his accuracy and variation.
After a 44-run opening stand between Chanderpaul (21) and Morton (27), theislanders lost seven wickets for the addition of 32.
Lara and Carlton Baugh Jr. then added 27 for the ninth wicket to push thetotal closer to the target before the latter fell to Harbhajan.
Sreesanth (2-25) then had Corey Collymore plumb in front of the wicket toleave Lara stranded on 40.
While Lara will worry about his team's third batting failure in the series,Dravid and coach Greg Chappell have a few new questions to sort out before theChampions Trophy.
Apart from the form of Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag's role as a middle orderbatsman might have to be reassessed.
The match began on a significant note with India omitting Pathan and bringingin Sreesanth in the only change to the team that played Australia in the lastmatch.
There was no reason attributed to Pathan's exclusion by the team management,meaning it was purely based on form.
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The Baroda left-arm paceman had gone for 22 runs in two overs in the firstmatch against the Windies and for 32 in four overs against the Aussies.
Sreesanth, on the other hand, has been excluded from the 14-member squad forthe Champions Trophy.
After Tendulkar and Harbhajan, the Indians owed their total to 'extras' whichfetched 22 while only two other batsmen managed double figures.
Dwayne Smith wrecked the Indian top order with 4-31 in 10 straight overs withthe new ball.
The surprisingly low total had less to do with the pitch than India'sAchilles' heel of balls bouncing above waist high.
India's biggest crime, however, was to let go more than 10 overs unutilised.
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Only skipper Rahul Dravid (0) fell to a genuine fast bowler's delivery,squared up by a beauty from Smith off the third ball of the match.
Sehwag once again was exposed of his gap between bat and pad, but the realculprit was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who played all over an innocuous delivery andwas bowled when the situation demanded utmost caution.
Ajit Agarkar survived a leg before shout after being completely beaten by aslower one from Dwayne Bravo. But in the very next over of the same bowler, hefailed to spot another slower one and was bowled without offering a stroke.
Harbhajan demolished any myth about the pitch in his 60-ball innings thatcontained two effortless sixes over the bowler's head off Wavell Hinds.
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Tendulkar's was a contrasting knock to the one he played against the sameopponents six days ago.
His 65 came from 102 balls with seven fours and came to an end in unfortunatecircumstances when he failed to back up in time and was beaten by Rudra PratapSingh's straight drive that brushed the fingers of bowler Marlon Samuels to hitthe stumps at the non-striker's end.
PTI
