India beat WI to clinch series

India re-write history as they wrap up 4-match series after 35 years in a cliffhanger at Jamaica. Scorecard

Kumble inspired India to re-write history as they beat Caribbeans by 49 runs after 35 years in a tense cliffhanger at Jamaica. India re-created 1971 magic to clinch Test series 1-0. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid was adjudged both Man of Match and Series.

HT Image

Kumble turned in with another match-winning performance, taking 6 for 78 - including two wickets in the last three balls of the match to enable the tourists a series win in the West Indies for the first time since 1971.

Ramdin gave West Indies hope with a superb unbeaten 62, adding vital runs with the lower order, but in the end, the target of 269 turned out to be just a bit too much.

While both teams had a chance, India had a slight edge over the hosts throughout their second essay. But a dazzling knock from Ramdin almost took away the game from the visitors before the old-stager Kumble struck in good time to dismiss Collins and Collymore and give India that rare overseas win.

Earlier, after a rather torrid morning session on third day, India could add just 43 runs to their overnight score before being bowled out and set Windies a modest target of 269 runs to win the Final Test and series.

On a rather uncharacteristic batting wicket, Dravid has been the only batsman who has been able to cope with the change after the placid wickets in the first three Tests.

Needing ten more wickets for that rare overseas series win, Sreesanth struck in the very first over to dismiss opener Chris Gayle for naught, his second consecutive duck of the match.

This brought the magical Lara to the crease, who could have been the big difference between victory and defeat for India. He along with Ganga needed to play an out of the ordinary innings, but the lethal Sreesanth struck just after lunch to clip Ganga for 16.

In the next over, Munaf Patel, till now overshadowed by his partner, bowled the delivery of the innings to bring about the end of the mighty Lara for 11.

Thereafter, Chanderpaul and Sarwan battled for a while before the former was trapped plum in front for 13 runs. Sarwan and Chanderpaul stemmed the rot before Kumble got the vital breakthrough for the visitors.

This wicket brought together the last recognised batting pair of Sarwan and Bravo.The two then put on a fine rearguard action as they added 70 runs for the fifth wicket.

Sarwan brought up his 26th Test fifty with a boundary off Sreesanth. Just when West Indies were on the revival route with the two going after the Indian attack, the bowler had him caught by Dravid at slip for 51 that came of 97 balls.

Bravo followed his partner to the pavilion in the very next over as Kumble bowled him for a well-compiled 33 of just 45 deliveries.

Kumble then picked up his third victim of the innings when he trapped Marlon Samuels leg before for five runs.

How India batted on third day

Having already gathered a substantial lead, the Dravid-Kumble partnership was the key to a Test series win in the Caribbean after 35 long years.

But that was not to be as Collymore got the strachy Kumble early on for just 10 runs.

Needing to do something special on the third day, Dravid too could not stick around for long as Collymore ran into his defence. He could just manage to add 6 runs to his overnight score before succumbing to Collymore.

Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth then added some quick runs.

The Kerala bowler made 16 off 14 balls that included a four and a six before he was caught at second slip by Brian Lara off a Jerome Taylor delivery.

Harbhajan made nine before he too edged a catch to Lara at first slip off Collymore.

India had made 200 runs in their first innings and bowled out the Windies for 103 in their first essay, taking a 97-run lead that could prove crucial in deciding the outcome of the match and the series.

Day 2

After a batting debacle in the first innings, the Windies struck back with vengeance leaving India in a precarious situation, with the Test heading for a definite result.

At stumps on the second day, India were leading by 225 runs with Dravid batting on 62 and Kumble 2 not out.

Earlier, the Indian openers failed miserably once again and were back in the pavilion for just six runs on the board.

Substitute Morton held on to a blinder at third slip off Taylor to get rid of Jaffer for just one run. Sehwag was then trapped leg before by the same bowler.

This brought Laxman and Dravid together once again with lot of repair work to do. But after a brief stay at the crease, Laxman also gave in to Collymore.

Laxman was on 16 when he was caught by Brian Lara at second slip as India were reduced to 49 for three.

Fourteen runs later, Collymore dismissed Yuvraj, also caught by Lara at slip. He made 13.

Mohammad Kaif again failed to get going and played on a Collins delivery onto his stumps for six runs.

In a repeat of the first innings, skipper Dravid played the captain's knock to dig India out of the hole they found themselves in. doing the rescue act, Dravid hit his second half-century of the match.

Earlier, Having their task cut out after a dismal batting performance on the first day, the Indian bowlers etched a dramatic turnaround to put India in total control of the all important final Test at Jamaica.

An inspirational career best performanmce from Harbhajan gives India their best chance of Test win in 35 yrs. The off-spinner finished with a match figures of 13/5 in 4.3 overs.

Sreesanth struck in the first over of the day to uproot Gayle with the West Indies scoreboard still not troubled to give India a perfect start.

With one wicket down for no score, Brian Lara promoted himself up the order.

Lara and Darren Ganga then saw off the initial spell adding 42 runs for the second wicket, before the Windies captain became Sreesanth's second victim.

Lara played awkwardly at a delivery that climbed on him and the edge carried to Wasim Jaffer at third slip. He made 26 off 40 balls with six hits to the fence.

Anil Kumble then got into the act. He beat Marlon Samuels in flight and M S Dhoni quickly removed the bails to send him back to the pavilion for two runs.

Thereafter, Munaf too joined the party when he send Chanderpaul back for just ten runs.

From thereon, it was Harbhajan show all the way. The turbanator then picked up three wickets in a span of eight balls to put India firmly in the driver's seat at Jamaica.

He first victim was Daren Ganga who was out trapped in front for 40. The two teams took lunch at his dismissal.

The off-spinner then came back after the break and dismissed Bravo for a duck.

Sarwan was the next to go caught by Mohammad Kaif at midwicket for seven.

Taylor was run out for six and Harbhajan wasted no time in removing Pedro Collins for a duck.