Rain slows India's push for victory in second Test

India were looking to deliver the knockout punch when it rained on their parade in the second Test against West Indies on Monday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.
After being asked to follow-on 373 runs behind from the first innings, West Indies were 43 for one in their second innings, when a torrential downpour swept across the ground with 11.3 overs remaining on the third day.
Replying to India's first innings total of 588 for eight declared, West Indies had been bowled out for 215 about 10 minutes past the scheduled tea break.
Virender Sehwag, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, took three wickets for 33 runs from 16.1 overs to be a thorn in the side of the Windies' lower order.
Munaf Patel took three for 51 from 17 overs to undermine the home team's top order, and leg-spin bowler Anil Kumble became the fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests, when he snared three for 57 from 30 overs.
Chris Gayle hit seven fours and one six in the top score of 46 from 106 balls. He added 51 for the fourth wicket with fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored 30.
Apart from Gayle and Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin gleaned 30 and Dwayne Bravo made 25 to beef up the West Indies first innings total when they added 61 for the sixth wicket.
Following on, West Indies suffered an immediate setback when Gayle was caught behind off Irfan Pathan for two with the third ball of the innings, driving lazily at a delivery moving away outside the off-stump. West Indies captain Brian Lara came to the wicket and defied the Indian attack with every fibre of his being to reach 15 and compatriot Daren Ganga showed similar resilience to get to 24 before the weather interrupted.
Earlier, India had removed Gayle and Chanderpaul in the first hour to maintain their stranglehold on the Test.
West Indies looked to be making a fist of it when Gayle and Chanderpaul battled through the first 45 minutes with little trouble.
Gayle had the joy of swatting Kumble over mid-wicket for a six about 10 rows into the stand, but the champion Indian leg-spinner gained his pound of flesh with his next delivery.
Gayle, playing back, instead of forward, groped at a delivery that spun across him and was pouched by the wicketkeeper to become Kumble's 519th Test wicket - drawing him level with Gayle's Jamaican compatriot Courtney Walsh - as the fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests.
Pathan added further agony when he deceived Chanderpaul with a slower, in-swinging delivery, and had him adjudged lbw in the next over.
Bravo and Ramdin carried West Indies through to 139 for five at the interval, but the home team offered only token resistance lunch.
The four-Test series is level after the first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground ended in a tense draw.
The series concludes with Tests at Basseterre (June 22-26), and Kingston (June 30-July 4).
SCOREBOARD
INDIA (1st Innings): 588 for eight dec (V. Sehwag 180, M. Kaif 148 not out, R. Dravid 146):

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WEST INDIES (1st Innings - overnight 65 for three):

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C. Gayle c Dhoni b Kumble                        46

D. Ganga lbw b Patel                             16

R. Sarwan lbw b Patel                             0

B. Lara lbw b Kumble                              7

S. Chanderpaul lbw b Pathan                      30

D. Bravo c Dravid b Kumble                       25

D. Ramdin c Dhoni b Patel                        30

I. Bradshaw c and b Sehwag                       20

J. Taylor c Kaif b Sehwag                        23

P. Collins c Dravid b Sehwag                      0

C. Collymore not out                              2

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EXTRAS (B-5, LB-2, NB-9)                         16

TOTAL: (all out)                                215

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FALL OF WICKETS: 1-36, 2-36, 3-55, 4-106, 5-106, 6-167, 7-178, 8-209, 9-210
BOWLING: Pathan 11-2-43-1; Patel 17-4-51-3; Kumble 30-12-57-3 (nb5); V. Singh 10-3-23-0 (nb4); Sehwag 16.1-5-33-3; Y. Singh 1-0-1-0
OVERS: 85.1

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WEST INDIES (2nd Innings):

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C. Gayle c Dhoni b Pathan           2

D. Ganga not out                   24

B. Lara not out                    15

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EXTRAS: (NB-2)                      2

TOTAL: (for 1 wkt)                 43

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