Kingston. India has always been rusty in the first game of a test series in the last few seasons, and Sabina Park was no exception. This knack of waking up late has more often than not cost too dearly for this Indian side, almost regularly losing the first test of a series and doing all the catching up later.
Mahendra singh dhoni won the toss and chose to bat first to give his two spinners a bowl at the Windies batsman in the fourth innings. But Rampaul soon removed both the openers to prove Dhoni’s decision wrong to bat first on a juicy Sabina Park wicket.
M Vijay, still in IPL mode, uppishly drove a full delivery straight to point. Abhinav Mukund, making his debut for India looked jittery before playing it on for 11. Dravid looked solid as ever in his 40 and it seemed as if he and Laxman can stitch a decent partnership but Bishoo wrecked havoc for the Indian middle order. He unfurled a great spell of Leg spin to remove Laxman, Dravid and Dhoni in just 3 overs.
India were reduced to 85 for 6 and memories of last year’s Centurion test against South Africa loomed when India were all out for 136 in the first innings. But Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh had other plans, the dual unleashed one of the fiercest counterattack of recent times against Bishoo and company.
The retaliation was so sensational that they scored 56 of just 6.2 overs and West Indies were on the back foot straight away. After early nerves both of them settled down and played some decent strokes too. But the fireworks continued as the last over before lunch bowled by Bishoo fetched 17 runs.
In the post lunch session, Fidel Edwards, bowling at nasty pace dismissed Harbhajan for 70 to break the partnership. Bishoo was again into action, who ran deep backwards square and then defied gravity to grab a stunning catch.
After that Praveen Kumar and Amit Mishra didn’t offer much resistance which egged on Suresh Raina to go for the big ones. In doing so he perished at deep backward square leg for 82 and India were all out for 246.
Indian bowlers bowled a tight line to some over cautious West Indian openers in the last 2 hours of the day. Ishant Sharma drew first blood when he got Lendl Simmons caught for 3, as the hosts ended with 34 for 1 at stumps
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