By Abhishek Roy,IANS,
New Delhi : Old warhorse Shivnaraine Chanderpaul rescued the West Indies from a poor start with a patient century on the first day of the first Test against India at the Ferozshah Kotla here Sunday.
Chanderpaul’s resistive unbeaten 111, his seventh against India, took the visitors to 265 for five at stumps. Wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh was not out on 19.
Chanderpaul, who now has 9,604 runs, also became the second highest Test scorer for the West Indies after Brian Lara. The 37-year-old Guyanese, the only Test specialist in the team, was involved in a crucial 108-run stand with teenager Kraigg Brathwaite (63) that helped the visitors to recover from 72 for three on a slow track, after skipper Darren Sammy opted to bat.
Chanderpaul’s 167-ball innings, that lasted 236 minutes, was studded with seven fours and two sixes. As the daylight faded, Chanderpaul swept left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (3/58) for single behind square to bring up his fine century in 77 balls.
Ojha and debutant Ravichandran Ashwin (2/79) purchased some turn from the track but Chanderpaul and Brathwaite were determined to grind it out. Indian pacers Ishant Sharma and debutant Umesh Yadav went wicketless.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni introduced spin as early as in the 10th over and a double strike from Ojha halted the West Indies progress in the morning session.
Ojha, spearheading the spin attack, dropped an easy return catch from Kieran Powell (14) in his first over but atoned for it by trapping the left-handed batsman leg-before in his next over.
Ojha bowled cleverly and kept the batsmen guessing. He foxed Kirk Edwards (15) with his flight only to take a good return catch in the 24th over.
Off-spinner Ashwin got his maiden Test wicket immediately after the lunch break, rattling the stumps of Darren Bravo (12), who was stranded on his back-foot in his attempt to cut.
Chanderpaul and the 18-year-old Brathwaite then joined forces and accumulated runs patiently, relying mostly on singles. In the second session, West Indies scored 90 runs, with the two guiding the innings.
Indian bowlers had some frustrating moments in the post lunch session as both Brathwaite and Chanderpaul showed the perfect temperament to grind it out on the slow Kotla track.
Brathwaite got to his second Test fifty in 157 balls and hit just four fours in his 212-ball knock. Chanderpaul’s innings, however, was laced with both aggression and maturity. He was never hesitant to step out and hit Ashwin and Ojha for his two sixes straight down the ground, and also quickly stepped back and concentrate on finding the gaps.
When both the batsmen looked settled, Brathwaite gifted away his wicket to Ojha, who sent down a slower delivery and as the youngster leaned forward, Dhoni whipped the bails with lightning fast speed.
Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels (15) added another 20 runs for the fifth-wicket as 200 runs came up for the West Indies. Ashwin picked up his second wicket after Samuels edged to Dhoni.