West Indies captain Chris Gayle will be happy for Shivnarine Chanderpaul to bat on one leg in Saturday's decisive one-day international against England after his latest hundred this tour gave the side a shot at winning the series but also saw him injured.
Chanderpaul's ideally-paced 116 not out here at Edgbaston was the centrepiece of West Indies' 278 for five. In reply, England were bowled out for 217, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul taking four for 41, as West Indies won by 61 runs to level the three-match series at 1-1.
During his innings, 32-year-old Guyanese left-hander Chanderpaul strained a right ankle ligament and didn't field. A West Indies team spokesman said his fitness would be re-assessed on the morning of Saturday's match at Trent Bridge. "I will push him out there, even if on one leg," Gayle jokingly told reporters after Wednesday's victory, achieved with four overs to spare.
West Indies decided to move Chanderpaul up the order from No 5, where he top scored for his team with 53 not out in their 79-run series-opening defeat at Lord's on Sunday, to No 3. It was a move he vindicated in style during a 122-ball knock featuring three sixes and 10 fours. He was also well-supported by Marlon Samuels (77) during a third-wicket stand of 175.
"I thought it paid off, moving him up the order," said Gayle, who lost the toss in overcast, bowler-friendly, conditions. "He was tremendous. That partnership between him and Marlon really put us back in the game." Chanderpaul has been one of the few successes for West Indies during a generally lacklustre trip and his hundred on Wednesday was fresh proof of his ability to bat in attacking, as well as defensive, fashion.
During the four-Test series, which England won 3-0, he batted for over 24 hours while averaging 148.66. "Shiv can destroy any attack when he wants, he can step it up whenever he needs to," said Gayle. "He's been very hard to dislodge all the way through this trip," added England one-day captain Paul Collingwood. "He reads the game very well. He knows when to go, when to play himself in.
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