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Bravo century puts Windies on top
by Jinu Sabastian


Ground:Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Scorecard:Australia v West Indies
Player:S Chanderpaul, DJ Bravo, DJG Sammy, PM Siddle
Event:West Indies in Australia 2009/10

DateLine: 4th December 2009

 

West Indies for the first time on the tour had a satisfactory day on the tour as they scored 336 for the loss of six wickets on the opening day of the second Test. West Indies were at one stage at 84 for 3 but the Chanderpaul joined forces wit Bravo to rescue the Windies before the latter notched up a superb century. Sammy then ended the day with a flurry of shots to lend the visitors some repectability.

 

Gayle won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a track that promised lot of runs and the skipper got the innings away with an airy flick off Bollinger down to fine-leg. Gayle was literally on fire as he tore into Bollinger in the third over of the innings as he clipped him through midwicket and then couple of balls later slammed the left-armer straight over his head for a massive six. Barath (3) who looked fluent in the previous match struggled for timing and his stay was ended when Hussey took a brilliant catch at gully. Gayle (26) was the next one to follow when Bollinger got the shoulder of his bat which Haddin did well to snap as West Indies slipped to 39 for 2. Sarwan was joined by Chanderpaul and the two had a tough task at hand. Sarwan looked in glorious touch as he drove excellently through extra-cover twice kick start his innings.

 

Chanderpaul too for once discarded his go-slow approach as he got a boundary in his innings early on to start a recovery act. Johnson tried to intimidate the batsmen with some aggressive short-pitch deliveries but the duo were upto the task. The pair added 45 runs for the third wicket and it ended when Sarwan (25) was unable to keep one on the ground when Clark at point held onto his fierce cut. Johnson had a go at his former house-mate with some vicious bouncers but Nash was upto the task as he employed some fierce cuts and if he couldn’t reach let it go harmlessly past him. Nash copped one onto his elbow and though he looked fine to continue for a while but after the lunch break he retired hurt. Bravo joined Chanderpaul in the middle and the two had a tall task before them.

 

The pair did well to negotiate an unimaginative bowling attack as they successfully saw off a session in which they did not lose a wicket. Bravo as usual was a bundle of energy a he muscled through to midwicket to get off the mark. Though the bowlers were able to hit the right length to keep it tight none of the bowers were threatening. Chanderpaul had one nervous moment when the Australians were convinced they had him caught behind for 38 off Bollinger and asked for a review when the umpire Mark Benson was unmoved. Hot Spot didn't pick up an edge and nothing else suggested an error had been made, so Chanderpaul stayed and the fielders could not believe it. Chanderpaul's half-century came up in 107 deliveries and importantly he had solid support from Bravo as they took the west Indies to tea safely.

 

After tea Bravo and Siddle got engaged in an excellent encounter as the latter was constantly at the throat of the former. Bravo managed to wriggle out several times but Siddle not for a moment lowered his intensity. Siddle used the bouncers to good effect to soften up Bravo and then slipped in a fuller one but Bravo was upto the task more often than not. Siddle himself was guilty of dropping the all-rounder when Bravo chipped lamely back to the bowler who dropped it. Bravo got another life in the very next over when Clark at first slip failed to latch onto the outside edge of the all-rounder.

 

Bravo raised his half-century in 91 balls with a thunderous straight-drive over Siddle's head and to rub into Siddle's ego he drove gorgeously through covers for another boundary. Siddle then fooled Bravo with a slower delivery at fuller length who early into the shot spooned over mid-off for a couple for Siddle to let out some expletives directed particularly at no one. The battle continued in Siddle's next over when the bowler, still fuming from last over's misfortune, let out a sharp well-directed bouncer which Bravo pulled towards deep backward square where Watson, who was standing at the rope, did well to get his palm onto the ball. But the momentum of the ball took him beyond the ropes forcing Watson to parry the ball in the air, jumped over the line but in the process lost his footing and the ball landed safely beyond the ropes for the umpire to signal a six. Bravo looked quite relived, Siddle looked desperate, while the spectators found it amusing with the events. Siddle persisted with the short ball and there was no holding back Bravo who unfurled a hook shot this time which raced to fine-leg boundary.

 

Siddle had one more over but it was evident that he had lost the sting and Ponting immediately replaced him with Watson. Watson did the job for his captain as he was able to remove an adhesive Chanderpaul but not without drama. It appeared that Chanderpaul (62) had edged an away-swinger from Watson who with the keeper was quite confident but the umpire was unmoved. Ponting too was unsure as to whether to go for the review or not but Watson was able to convince his skipper to go for it. Asad Rauf, the third umpire, after going through the available replays gave the verdict in favour of the Australians though Chanderpaul looked unhappy. Three balls later Watson removed Ramdin (4) when the keeper-batsmen dragged one onto his stumps. Bravo kept his head in between all this happening to bring up an entertaining century of 146 balls with a gorgeous cover-drive. Bravo survived a leg-before as he was able to overturn the on-field umpire's decision but he was unable to use the life.

 

Hauritz cleaned up Bravo with a genuine off-spinner which pitched just out side the off-stump turn a bit to hit the off-stump as Bravo (104) played inside the line of the delivery forcing Nash to return to the crease. Meanwhile Sammy who was playing the second fiddle to Bravo began to open up. First he launched launched Hauritz through covers and then repeated the treatment on Watson. Hauritz then again suffered at the hands of Sammy as he dispatched the off-spinner twice over long-off and moved quickly into the forties. Sammy and Nash then put on an unbeaten 63 in 11.4 overs to take West Indies to stumps to end an satisfactory day for the visitors.

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