West Indies 173 and 131 for 3 need another 195 runs to beat India 246 and 252 (Dravid 112, Sammy 4-52, Bishoo 4-65)
On a Sabina Park track with plentiful turn and unpredictable bounce Rahul Dravid gave a resounding reminder of his value to the side with his 32nd Test century that put India on top in Jamaica. After his painstakingly constructed innings left West Indies an exacting target of 326, the home side's openers began the pursuit with an exhilarating flurry of strokes before a pair of superb catches slowed West Indies' charge. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo resisted for the final hour to keep the home side's hopes alive.
Dravid, the oldest active Test cricketer, put together a masterclass reminiscent of his 2006 heroics, silencing any murmurs about his place in the side being in doubt after a barren South African tour and the emergence of a slew of youngsters. Darren Sammy captured four wickets, but he will probably still be regretting the simple slip chance he put down when Dravid had made just 6.
In an innings where the next highest scorer was No. 10 Amit Mishra with 28, Dravid prospered with the method that has worked so well for him over the past 150 Tests: playing old-school defensive cricket, shelving the fancy strokes and grinding down the opposition.
India got an early sign of the troubles ahead for the batsmen when the second ball of the day shot through, barely rising off the ground. Later in the day, a delivery from legspinner Devendra Bishoo bounced viciously, forcing the wicketkeeper to jump and try to collect it overhead.
Dravid was patient as ever in the morning session, making only 23 in two hours, even his defensive shots ending with an exaggerated freeze of the bat. A couple of milestones came up through fours past gully, both controlled glides - the first brought up his half-century, and the next pushed India's lead past 200.
His overnight partner Virat Kohli didn't last long on the third morning, gloving a short ball down the leg side to the keeper. Suresh Raina, confident after his first-innings 82, hung around longer. He wasn't at his most assured though, edging one between second slip and gully, as the West Indies bowlers kept probing away.
A sore knee delayed the introduction of Bishoo, who made an immediate impact, inducing Raina to swipe at a ball spinning down the leg side. It was unclear whether there was any bat or glove involved but umpire Daryl Harper was convinced there was after the ball ricocheted off the wicketkeeper's thigh pad to leg slip.
That brought in MS Dhoni, who seemed a man in a hurry, clouting Bishoo for a straight six. He had moved to 16 off 15 balls before slashing Bishoo to point moments before lunch. Replays showed that Bishoo had cut the return crease when delivering the ball.
Soon after lunch, India lost a third batsman to a dicey decision, when Harbhajan Singh was given lbw with the ball likely to have sailed over the stumps. Expect more UDRS headlines.
When Praveen Kumar was bowled by Sammy for a second-ball duck, India were eight down with the lead 256; a quick end to the innings would have raised West Indies hopes. Instead they were flattened by a dogged Dravid, who added 56 vital runs with Mishra for the ninth wicket. Dravid shielded the tailender at times though Mishra was rarely in too much discomfort.
Soon after Dravid reached his century with a single to the off side, Mishra swung a few boundaries before holing out to third man attempting a flamboyant hit. A rare sight then followed, a six from Dravid in Tests - only his 19th in 261 innings. Another Dravid attempt to mow the ball only reached mid-on, closing the innings and giving Bishoo his fourth wicket.
India were in command at that stage, but instead of being demoralised by the large target, West Indies' openers, Adrian Barath and Lendl Simmons, unleashed a counterattack that would have pleased the onlooking Chris Gayle. Barath was the leader, crashing two sixes in an over that ended Ishant Sharma's spell. Simmons was unbothered by being beaten by a perfect Praveen outswinger, powerfully square cutting the next ball for four.
With the boundaries flowing, the pair sprinted past 50 in the 10th over. Soon after, Praveen induced an edge off Barath to the vacant third slip. Dhoni strengthened the cordon and in the same over another nick flew to third slip where Raina plucked a sharp, overhead catch. Three deliveries later, Virat Kohli latched on to an even tougher chance, throwing himself to his left at gully to extend Ramnaresh Sarwan's miserable run.
When Ishant cleaned up Simmons with a terrific delivery that straightened, West Indies had slid from 62 for 0 to 80 for 3. Another familiar collapse seemed to have begun, but Bravo and Chanderpaul scrapped till stumps. Both had some anxious moments - Bravo chancing his luck by cutting deliveries too close to his body and Chanderpaul facing some loud lbw shouts - but the pair persevered, adding 51 runs to set up an intriguing fourth, and likely final, day.
Score Card
India 246 & 252
West Indies 173 & 131/3 (33.0 ov)
West Indies require another 195 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Stumps - Day 3
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| India 1st innings | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
 | A Mukund | b Rampaul | 11 | 56 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 26.82 |
| 11.6 138.6 kph, that is the end of Mukund! Ravi Rampaul it is again, who bowls him off an inside edge, it was bowled closer to off, a lot closer and had Mukund pushing forward, but he went to force it through extra cover and found leg stump out of its ground off a huge inside edge, West Indies have removed the openers for very little, India have a lot of work up ahead 30/2
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| M Vijay | c Bishoo b Rampaul | 8 | 19 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 66.66 |
| 3.5 136.1 kph, there goes Vijay, driving in the air, and that brings about his downfall, front foot does not come out to the pitch of the ball and he ends up pushing uppishly, ball travels comfortably to Bishoo at backward point, this shot has served him well ... in the IPL, he is gone now though 15/1
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| R Dravid | c Sammy b Bishoo | 40 | 106 | 67 | 7 | 0 | 59.70 |
| 26.6 80.3 kph, Dravid had got a start, which is nothing new, but he has thrown it away, which is something unusual, similar dismissal to Laxman's, again Bishoo threw it up in the air, full enough for Dravid to launch in to the forcing drive and slip gets more catching practice, Dravid is disappointed, waves the bat in frustration as he walks back 83/5
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| VVS Laxman | c Sammy b Bishoo | 12 | 47 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 38.70 |
| 22.1 81.0 kph, and he strikes first ball, Laxman edges to slip, gently flighted and lures Laxman in to a loose drive, did not get the feet moving much, well, he never does that a lot anyways, the ball turned sharply from off stump and took the edge to go at a very comfortable height to slip, West Indies weren't expecting this one, they are delighted 64/3
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| V Kohli | c †Baugh b Edwards | 4 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 40.00 |
| 25.3 138.2 kph, that is the end of Virat's debut innings, he is gone nibbling at one outside off and Baugh has gobbled up the appetiser before lunch, was some distance from Virat, not much need to play at it, but for once Virat pressed forward, and got so close to the ball that he had to play at it, and ended up getting a healthy edge through to the keeper, a happy bunch of West Indians will take lunch, 69/4
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| SK Raina | c Bishoo b Rampaul | 82 | 167 | 115 | 15 | 0 | 71.30 |
| 61.2 112.3 kph, that is the end of the Indian innings, Raina has found Bishoo on the deep square leg boundary, got too much across to the back of a length ball and pulled it straight to Bishoo who has timed his leap neatly to pluck the ball 246/10
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| MS Dhoni*† | c Simmons b Bishoo | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 28.2 81.7 kph, Bishoo is on a roll and the men around him have edges flying towards them, Dhoni has departed to a nothing shot, half-forward to a tossed up ball, just pushing the bat out, the ball gripped and bounced high, Dhoni could do nothing as it took the shoulder of the bat and lobbed up towards gully 85/6
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| Harbhajan Singh | c Bishoo b Edwards | 70 | 120 | 74 | 10 | 1 | 94.59 |
| 56.2 147.1 kph, what a catch from Bishoo, West Indies are celebrating, Harbhajan was set up for the hook and has fallen to that shot, it was a bouncer way outside off, Bhajji could not resist for once and went for the hook instinctively, the edge swirled in front of deep square leg from where Bishoo ran in with gusto, the ball seemed to be dying on him but he dived to his left while running to take the catch, superb take, Harbhajan has the look of a man who has thrown away a hundred 231/7
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| P Kumar | lbw b Edwards | 4 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 57.14 |
| 58.2 143.3 kph, that is plumb, and PK is gone, he shuffled across to a quick inswinging delivery that beat him for pace and angle, right in front of middle and leg and he is a goner 236/8
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| A Mishra | c Sarwan b Edwards | 6 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 46.15 |
| 60.4 145.1 kph, that is the end of Mishra, who is disappointed at the decision, the short ball has got him, he could do nothing about it, it just climbed in to him and kept getting bigger and bigger, he tried to fend it away, but got a glove on it from where it lobbed to first slip, wonder why Mishra was looking so cross, he had no reason to be, maybe it was a bit of arm guard as well 246/9
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| I Sharma | not out | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
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| Extras | (b 1, lb 2, nb 6) | 9 |
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| Total | (all out; 61.2 overs) | 246 | (4.01 runs per over) |
| Fall of wickets1-15 (Vijay, 3.5 ov), 2-30 (Mukund, 11.6 ov), 3-64 (Laxman, 22.1 ov), 4-69 (Kohli, 25.3 ov), 5-83 (Dravid, 26.6 ov), 6-85 (Dhoni, 28.2 ov), 7-231 (Harbhajan Singh, 56.2 ov), 8-236 (Kumar, 58.2 ov), 9-246 (Mishra, 60.4 ov), 10-246 (Raina, 61.2 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| FH Edwards | 16 | 1 | 56 | 4 | 3.50 | (4nb) |
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| 25.3 to Kohli, 138.2 kph, that is the end of Virat's debut innings, he is gone nibbling at one outside off and Baugh has gobbled up the appetiser before lunch, was some distance from Virat, not much need to play at it, but for once Virat pressed forward, and got so close to the ball that he had to play at it, and ended up getting a healthy edge through to the keeper, a happy bunch of West Indians will take lunch, 69/4
56.2 to Harbhajan Singh, 147.1 kph, what a catch from Bishoo, West Indies are celebrating, Harbhajan was set up for the hook and has fallen to that shot, it was a bouncer way outside off, Bhajji could not resist for once and went for the hook instinctively, the edge swirled in front of deep square leg from where Bishoo ran in with gusto, the ball seemed to be dying on him but he dived to his left while running to take the catch, superb take, Harbhajan has the look of a man who has thrown away a hundred 231/7
58.2 to Kumar, 143.3 kph, that is plumb, and PK is gone, he shuffled across to a quick inswinging delivery that beat him for pace and angle, right in front of middle and leg and he is a goner 236/8
60.4 to Mishra, 145.1 kph, that is the end of Mishra, who is disappointed at the decision, the short ball has got him, he could do nothing about it, it just climbed in to him and kept getting bigger and bigger, he tried to fend it away, but got a glove on it from where it lobbed to first slip, wonder why Mishra was looking so cross, he had no reason to be, maybe it was a bit of arm guard as well 246/9
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| R Rampaul | 18.2 | 2 | 59 | 3 | 3.21 | (2nb) |
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| 3.5 to Vijay, 136.1 kph, there goes Vijay, driving in the air, and that brings about his downfall, front foot does not come out to the pitch of the ball and he ends up pushing uppishly, ball travels comfortably to Bishoo at backward point, this shot has served him well ... in the IPL, he is gone now though 15/1
11.6 to Mukund, 138.6 kph, that is the end of Mukund! Ravi Rampaul it is again, who bowls him off an inside edge, it was bowled closer to off, a lot closer and had Mukund pushing forward, but he went to force it through extra cover and found leg stump out of its ground off a huge inside edge, West Indies have removed the openers for very little, India have a lot of work up ahead 30/2
61.2 to Raina, 112.3 kph, that is the end of the Indian innings, Raina has found Bishoo on the deep square leg boundary, got too much across to the back of a length ball and pulled it straight to Bishoo who has timed his leap neatly to pluck the ball 246/10
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| DJG Sammy | 13 | 3 | 42 | 0 | 3.23 |
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| D Bishoo | 11 | 2 | 75 | 3 | 6.81 |
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| 22.1 to Laxman, 81.0 kph, and he strikes first ball, Laxman edges to slip, gently flighted and lures Laxman in to a loose drive, did not get the feet moving much, well, he never does that a lot anyways, the ball turned sharply from off stump and took the edge to go at a very comfortable height to slip, West Indies weren't expecting this one, they are delighted 64/3
26.6 to Dravid, 80.3 kph, Dravid had got a start, which is nothing new, but he has thrown it away, which is something unusual, similar dismissal to Laxman's, again Bishoo threw it up in the air, full enough for Dravid to launch in to the forcing drive and slip gets more catching practice, Dravid is disappointed, waves the bat in frustration as he walks back 83/5
28.2 to Dhoni, 81.7 kph, Bishoo is on a roll and the men around him have edges flying towards them, Dhoni has departed to a nothing shot, half-forward to a tossed up ball, just pushing the bat out, the ball gripped and bounced high, Dhoni could do nothing as it took the shoulder of the bat and lobbed up towards gully 85/6
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| LMP Simmons | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4.00 |
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| BP Nash | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 |
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