MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies snatched a fortuitous draw in dramatic circumstances after another dreadful batting collapse had put them on the verse of losing the third and final Test against India here yesterday.
With India needing three runs off the last six balls of the game, pacer Fidel Edwards bowled a superb final over to restrict the hosts to 242 for nine, one short of their winning target.
The result marked only the second time in Test history a match had finished in a draw with the scores level, following England’s stalemate with Zimbabwe 15 years ago.
Earlier, West Indies had virtually thrown away any chance of saving the game when they were dismissed for 134, after resuming the final day at the Wankhede Stadium on 81 for two.
They were tormented by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha who claimed six for 47 and off-spinner Ravi Ashwin, who snared four for 34, to lose their last eight wickets for 53 runs before lunch.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, starting the day on 34, added just one before falling in the day’s fifth over and Darren Bravo carried his overnight unbeaten 27 to 48 before also perishing.
Their dismissals opened the floodgates and West Indies collapsed in heap, leaving the Test wide open, with India chasing 243 off a possible 64 overs in a little over two sessions.
Middle order batsman Virat Kohli (63) and opener Virender Sehwag (60) then stroked half-centuries as India seemed en route to a comfortable victory.
Sehwag’s knock was a typically breezy one off 65 balls with eight fours and gave India the early control, especially after he added 82 for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (33).
However, India lost wickets in clusters. Cruising at 101 for one, they lost three wickets for 12 runs to tumble to 113 for four. When they rebuilt to reach 165 for four, they again lost wickets steadily to decline to 239 for eight.
Kohli, who hit three fours and a six off 114 balls, was carrying India’s run chase but his dismissal – caught at backward point by captain Darren Sammy off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo – was perhaps the turning point at 224 for seven.
The odds, however, remained in their favour at the start of the last over, with first innings century-maker Ashwin (14) and debutant Varun Aaron (two not out) at the crease, and West Indies needing two wickets to win.
Edwards kept Aaron scoreless off the first three balls, but a single off the fourth delivery gave Ashwin the all important strike. He failed to score off the fifth and with India needing two runs for victory off the final delivery, was run out attempting a second run after clattering Edwards down to long on. The draw sparked celebrations among the West Indies players who knew they had rescued some pride from a game they seemed destined to lose at one stage.
Pacer Ravi Rampaul finished with three for 56, Bishoo two for 65 while off-spinner Marlon Samuels chipped in with two for 93. No such drama had been envisaged when Brathwaite and Bravo started the day with West Indies 189 runs ahead overall.
Even when the 19-year-old Brathwaite scooped Ojha to Tendulkar at point at 91 for three, the Windies still seemed poised to bat through the session.
Bravo, continuing from where he left off in the first innings, spanked some beautiful off-side boundaries and appeared headed for another half-century when he drove a simple catch back to Ojha.
It was then the Windies innings plunged into terminal decline. Samuels charged Ojha off the fourth ball he faced and was stumped without scoring and with five runs added, Carlton Baugh was bowled by Ashwin for one, at 117 for six.
Left-hander Kieran Powell missed a straight ball from Ashwin and was lbw for 11, Rampaul holed out in the deep off Ojha without scoring before Sammy (10) and Bishoo fell in consecutive deliveries to Ashwin.
India clinched the series 2-0.