Resumo de Sportssarwan Props Up Windies

KINGSTON: Despite Ramnaresh Sarwan doing his best impersonation of the boy on a burning deck, Indian bowlers part scorched, part curtailed West Indies to 198 for nine in 50 overs. Sarwan made a patient unbeaten 98 (138b, 7x4, 1x6) ? almost half his side's score ? that inevitably changed character towards the end. Ajit Agarkar was outstanding, exploiting the early winds that blew across the ground to trouble the batsmen in an opening spell that read 7-2-5-1. The target should pose few problems to a side that has claims to being one of the best chasing sides in one-day history. But, stranger things have happened. After being invited to bat by Rahul Dravid, West Indies struggled to counter India's new-ball operators, who found their rhythm and radar almost immediately. Their lines were tight; the errors of the first ODI were quickly banished. The inner ring of fielders grew claustrophobic, and the home side lost wickets as much to the pressure of trying to score, as to good deliveries. Mayhem unfolded early. In front of a merry Saturday crowd that banged bass drums and blew bugles, Agarkar ? rewarded with the shiny cherry ahead of Munaf Patel ? forced last-match centurion Chris Gayle to edge the much vaunted corridor ball behind for nought. Pathan then snared opener Runako Morton for one. The delivery from the left-armer kept a trifle low; Morton failed to jam his bat down in time ? his pad was caught in a compromising sition. One for two! It could have been worse for West Indies had Suresh Raina at second slip held on to a egulation chance off Agarkar. The score was 16 for two in 7.2 overs; the batsman was Brian Lara, no less. But Pathan soon dismissed Lara, caught at slip by Dravid for 14, to purge guilt. Comedy of errors In between, a surreal moment occurred: Sarwan tipped and ran, Raina swooped in from short mid-wicket and threw down the stumps, Lara dove to make his ground. The Indians appealed, but there was no leg umpire! Billy Doctrove emerged sheepishly from near the sightscreen at the far end, and after a lengthy conference, the umpires ruled dead ball. That Lara was in, prevented further embarrassment. Harbhajan Singh, replacing Pathan in the 15th over, flattened his trajectory the instant Chanderpaul scooped him inside-out for consecutive fours. The off-spinner got one to pop at the ungainly left-hander like corn kernels in a hot pot, and Kaif accepted the not-in-control cut stroke. Forty-three for four. Sarwan then began the process of according his side's total respectability. Neat deflections of the hip were his bread-and-butter. When the field spread out, he drove down the ground and nudged the singles. Two strokes off Munaf arrested attention. The 25-year-old squeezed the first one behind point ? all dainty feet and compact bat swing ? for four. He nearly copped a bouncer for his effort. The second stroke was noteworthy, for it was played out of character: usually composed, the man from Guyana lashed a savage bat at one to clear the covers. A crucial stand
Sarwan put on 60 for the fifth wicket with Marlon Samuels in 16 overs, before the latter was undone by the bounce Yuvraj extracted. Dravid bowled Harbhajan through, pairing him with fellow off-spinner Powar for a while before Yuvraj was put in harness. Powar lured Bravo. Wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh then played bold, violent strokes. The little man ? he seems only stump-high when he takes stance ? generated tremendous bat speed to send Yuvraj and Munaf to the fence. But, he found Pathan at deep mid-wicket in trying to put one over. His partnership with Sarwan lasted 6.1 overs and yielded 38 runs. Sarwan pressed on, smashing Pathan for two fours and a six in the 49th as the usual mad scramble at the death ensued. Earlier, India made one change to its eleven from the first game. Ramesh Powar, who recovered surprisingly from a twisted ankle, replaced R.P. Singh. The West Indies eleven was unchanged.

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