The Hindu : Indians forced to follow on

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 29, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Indians forced to follow on

By Vijay Lokapally

India's Sarandeep Singh and Busta XI wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs look back as Sarandeep is caught by Runako Morton at slips off Gareth Breese on the last day of the three-day match at the National Cricket Stadium at St. Lucia on Sunday. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

ST. LUCIA APRIL 28 . The Indians continued to plummet against an inspired Busta XI attack at the National Cricket Stadium. The poor cricket failed to attract spectators even though it was the home team that dictated the terms, leaving the Indians in an embarrassing position of 22 for one at lunch on the final day after following-on.

This morning, resuming at 73 for seven, the Indians were skittled out for 150, conceding a lead of 287 runs. Left-hander Dinesh Mongia alone managed a face-saving innings as he compiled a neat half-century that saved the Indians from disaster.

The performance, however, must have hurt the pride of those six Indians who did not play in this match that was a good exercise for the West Indian selectors to identify their players for the season ahead.

Mongia applied himself at the right time. He had been lucky too when an express delivery from left-arm Pedro Collins crashed into the stumps but it turned out to be a no-ball. He batted sensibly after that reprieve, curbing his shots but then he was left stranded, as his partners did not adopt a similar approach.

It was poor cricket all the way by the Indians as they folded up for 150, Mongia being the last man out, driving the ball unerringly to long-on.

Earlier, the Indians had lost Sarandeep Singh, who nicked a straighter one, and Harbhajan Singh, who played an irresponsible swipe into the hands of the man in the country. With his colleagues deserting him, Mongia decided to bat aggressively and in the process helped himself to some runs as the Busta XI tightened the noose.

Mongia, in his 185-ball essay, hit eight fours and a six off leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine. The Indians could neither play the spin with any conviction nor could they put up any resistance to the speed of the Busta XI attack that assumed the proportions of a monster on a placid track.

The track was no different from the one that saw the Busta XI cane the Indians to the tune of 437 runs. The Busta XI runs had come in a fluent manner with the batsmen showing no respite when it came to executing shots. But cricket looked so different when the Indians batted.

Run making was such an enjoyable exercise when the likes of Wavell Hinds, Devon Smith and Ridley Jacobs were at the crease. It became such a laborious venture when the Indians batted that after a while it was nothing but an embarrassment to watch the visiting side.

There was no will to fight in the Indian camp and the decline was rapid. After Wasim Jaffer was declared leg-before even as the batsman indicated he had played the ball and Deep Dasgupta failed to make an impression with the bat too, bowled by a googly from Dinanath Ramnarine, the Indian innings only took a plunge with none to save the side from the disastrous collapse.

Shiv Sundar Das did not look happy with the decision but then he had done little in the middle to merit any sympathy.

He looked out of shape as he struggled against the hard-working Jeremy and it was hardly surprising when the bowler snared the shaky opener.

For Das, it was a good opportunity lost to prepare ahead of the third Test for he badly looks in need of a long innings in the middle to boost his confidence. He failed in the second innings too, offering no shot, to be promptly adjudged leg-before. He stayed on at the wicket but he was out no doubt.

Sanjay Bangar was looking good when a mix-up with Mongia left him hopelessly stranded and he was run out by yards. By now, Ramnarine had settled down nicely and was on the top with his leg-spin causing trouble to the batsmen.

When V.V.S. Laxman played back to the leg-spinner, he invited disaster as the ball kept low and hit the stumps. It was now acute embarrassment for the Indian camp as the score read a miserable 45 for five.Ajay Ratra and Anil Kumble failed to alter the scenario and when play ended on the second day the Indians had no place to hide.

At 73 for seven, the visiting team stood exposed thoroughly even conceding the fact that three of its best batsmen and three of its best bowlers were sitting out. There could have been no excuses for such a dismal batting show on a placid track where the bowlers had to earn their wickets.

The scores:

Busta XI_1st innings: 437

Indians_1st innings: S. S. Das c Breese b Jeremy 13, W. Jaffer lbw b Collins 0, D. Dasgupta b Ramnarine 7, D. Mongia c Powell b Breese 67, S. Bangar (run out) 1, V. V. S. Laxman b Ramnarine 4, A. Ratra lbw b Powell 0, A. Kumble c R. Hinds b Ramnarine 11, Sarandeep Singh c Morton b Breese 32, Harbhajan Singh c Powell b Ramnarine 0, T. Yohannan (not out) 0, Extras (lb-4, nb-11) 15, Total 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-20, 3-20, 4-40, 5-45, 6-51, 7-72, 8-122, 9-123

Busta XI bowling: Collins 15-2-46-1, Powell 11-2-16-1, Jeremy 10-2-16-1, Ramnarine 23-7-49-4, Breese 9.1-2-19-2

Indians_2nd innings: Das lbw b Collins 0, Jaffer (batting) 12, Dasgupta (batting) 6, Extras (nb-4) 4, Total (for one wkt) 22

Fall of wickets: 1-2

Busta XI bowling: Collins 4-0-12-1, Powell 4-2-5-0, R. Hinds 1-0-1-0, Ramnarine 1-0-4-0.

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