Indians dance to Bhajji Bhangra

Indian cricket’s golden run continues. A bewildered West Indies team crumbled in the face of some scintillating bowling by Harbhajan Si...

Indian cricket’s golden run continues. A bewildered West Indies team crumbled in the face of some scintillating bowling by Harbhajan Singh at the Wankhede Stadium here today to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. Advantage India, and things can only get better.

It was spin at its best on the ‘flat’ track which turned into a minefield on the fourth day as Bhajji — bowling unchanged — and Anil Kumble ran through the tourists’ second innings like a knife through butter. Harbhajan’s seven Windies wickets in the second innings gave India its first-ever innings defeat over the West Indies in 76 Tests.

SCOREBOARD

India (1st innings): 457
West Indies (1st innings): 157
West Indies (2nd innings): (Overnight 91/1)
C Gayle c Ganguly b Harbhajan 42
W Hinds b Harbhajan 40
R Sarwan c Tendulkar b Kumble 17
S Chanderpaul not out 36
C Hooper c&b Harbhajan 1
R Hinds c Sehwag b Kumble 2
R Jacobs c Ganguly b Kumble 0
M Nagamootoo c Ganguly b Harbhajan 18
M Dillon c Dravid b Harbhajan 0
P Collins c Dravid b Harbhajan 8
C Cuffy c&b Harbhajan 0
Extras (b-8, lb-15, nb-1): 24
Total (All out, in 68.3 overs): 188
Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-105, 3-107, 4-110, 5-117, 6-117, 7-158, 8-158, 9-184
Bowling: Srinath 4-2-19-0, Khan 4-0-26-0, Bangar 6-1-20-0, Harbhajan Singh 28.3-12-48-7, Kumble 25-8-50-3, Tendulkar 1-0-2-0

The day began with the tourists following-on and precariously placed at 91 for 1; it ended 51 minutes after lunch, nine wickets gone for just 97 runs. Harbhajan’s contribution was 28.3-12-48-7, his 10th five-wicket haul in 29 Tests.

The Wrst Indies collapse came as surprise even to Saurav Ganguly, who admitted to have little inkling of the match being wrapped up so soon. The Prince and his army are now on a roll; this was Ganguly’s 12th win as skipper, two behind Mohammad Azharuddin’s record.

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As the crowd chanted and bayed, the one man who stood alone amid the wreckage was Shivnaraine Chanderpaul. Carrying his bat through yet again, he surely deserves a calypso from Lord Relator, for we just can’t seem to get him out.

Not that it mattered much in the end, as Harbhajan and Kumble made sure that the moody, dogged left-hander lost partners at a regular pace. Harbhajan provided the first delight, sending back opener Chris Gayle driving straight to Ganguly at widish mid-off. Kumble joined in making a circumspect Ramnaresh Sarwan do the same, this time to covers for Sachin Tendulkar to do the rest.

Then came the biggest joy of the day for the wily Sardar. By now bowling at his best, Harbhajan seduced skipper Carl Hooper with a flighted one and gleefully accepted the return catch. Kumble joined in the act, removing left-handers Ryan Hinds and Ridley Jacobs off successive balls but Mahendra Nagamootoo denied him a hat-trick.

Harbhajan’s amazing run was marred somewhat when Kumble running in from short covers banged into Sanjay Bangar to drop an easy chance off Nagamootoo. But that again could not stop the wily off-spinner. He soon accounted for the batsman and next man Mervyn Dillon.

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The lunch break held back Indian charge but only for a while as the man on mission returned to polish off the rest and in fine style. While Sehwag (forward sort leg), Ganguly and Dravid (slips) picked up fine catches, Harbhajan on his part collected a blazing return shot from lastman Cameron Cuffy to spark off the champagne celebrations.

Next stop is Chennai, where the Chepauk pitch rarely fails to produce a result. Hooper will be hoping it goes his way but the way his opponents are playing, he will need a lot more than hope to stop the Indians on a roll.