1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, 10-14 Apr 2003 Wisden CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, 10-14 Apr 2003
Wisden CricInfo Staff

West Indies 2nd innings: Drinks, Lunch - Day 3, Post-Lunch Drinks, Tea - Day 3, Mid-Session Drinks, Close - Day 3,
Live Reports from previous days

A DAY OF FINE TEST CRICKET
Contrasting centuries from Brian Lara and Daren Ganga gave West Indies a handy lead by the end of the third day at Bourda. Some more application is needed, though, as the pitch is benign and the new ball, just a few overs old, is swinging appreciably. Australia, who will have a second bite of that new ball tomorrow morning, are still slight favourites, although their fallibility in fourth-innings run-chases will be under scrutiny again.

Lara's was the innings of the day, studded with trademark whipped strokes and some savage sweeps. He took a good look at the bowling, taking 73 balls to reach 40, but then cut loose – sweeping or pull-driving the spinners – and sprinted past Ganga, his partner in a stand eventually worth 185. It was Lara’s 19th Test century, and one of his finest, played under pressure from the match situation and the crowd, which again gave him a mixed reception when he came out to bat, because he has replaced the local hero Carl Hooper as captain.

For a while it was Trinidad v Australia, as Lara and Ganga batted through the middle session without being parted. Lara passed 2000 runs against Australia on his way to his seventh century – and his fourth in successive home Tests – against them. He had reached a lyrical 110, with 20 sumptuous fours, when he was out in a peculiar way. He tried to sweep the left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, but the ball looped up off his forearm and was caught by Matthew Hayden, running round from slip. The fieldsmen appealed for that, but Adam Gilchrist had noticed something even more final: Lara had lost control of his bat, which just brushed the stumps and dislodged a bail (295 for 3).

Marlon Samuels didn’t last long, edging Stuart MacGill low to a diving Ricky Ponting at second slip (303 for 4). Samuels then nearly featured in an even odder dismissal than Lara’s. While acting as Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s runner, Samuels dozily wandered over the line as Gilchrist whipped off the bails with Chanderpaul firmly rooted in the crease. But the TV cameras were watching the batsman, not the runner at point, and the case was not proven. Chanderpaul, the first-innings centurion, lived to fight another day.

Shortly after that Ganga’s long vigil came to an end after 511 minutes. Ganga had underachieved in his previous 17 Tests, making only three fifties and sometimes struggling to get the ball off the square. But today, in his first home Test, he found his feet and moved them smartly to the pitch of the ball. He happily played second fiddle to Lara, but occasionally unrolled a classic cover-drive or perky pull. He extended his maiden Test century to 113, with 19 fours and a clunking six off a MacGill long-hop, before he tired of being tied down by Lehmann and chipped to midwicket (295 for 3) – a rare case of Darren bewitching Daren.

Lehmann was only bowling because the Australian attack – lacking those 400-wicket men McGrath and Warne – had an off day. There were more no-balls than usual – 18 in all, 10 of them from Brett Lee – and even the fielding was uncharacteristically leaky. Waugh had a trundle himself, despite having to leave the field for a while to have stitches in the webbing of his left hand after a misfield in the covers.

The batsman who inflicted that injury was Devon Smith, the 21-year-old Grenadian playing in his first Test. A toothy left-hander with a tendency to forget his feet-movement, Smith’s aggressive 62 included a dozen meaty fours, the pick of them a perfect straight-drive that whistled back past Lee before he could react.

Smith eventually feathered Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist (110 for 2). He had put on 58 with Ganga, and earlier had dominated an opening stand of 52 with Wavell Hinds, who plodded to 7 in 55 balls before MacGill turned one across him. He was adjudged lbw by Asoka de Silva although the ball seemed to be turning a long way down the leg side. He didn’t have too much to complain about, really – in the first over of the day he was trapped plumb in front by Lee, but de Silva shook his head that time.

West Indies are not out of the woods yet: an early wicket or two with the new ball will expose the injured Ridley Jacobs and that oh-so-flimsy tail. But honour has been restored, and at a pretty fair lick of more than 3.5 an over. The scoring rates have been so fast in this match that it’s hard to believe there are still two days to go. It all means that there should still be a result, if the weather holds.

WEST INDIES BACK IN FRONT
Brian Lara’s entertaining innings came to an end in a bizarre fashion in the 78th over. He tried to sweep the left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, but the ball looped up of his forearm and was caught by Matthew Hayden, running round from slip. The Australians appealed for the catch, but Adam Gilchrist had noticed something even more final: Lara had lost control of his bat, which just brushed the stumps and dislodged a bail (295 for 3).

Lara was on his way for 110, his 19th Test century (seventh against Australia). He faced 157 balls in a shade over three hours at the crease, and hammered 20 fours. His partnership with the adhesive Daren Ganga, who was approaching his highest Test score of 89, was worth 185.

In came Marlon Samuels, on a king pair and against the man who had dismissed him first ball in the first innings. But Hogg slung down a quicker one – a no-ball, as it transpired – and Samuels scrambled it away for a satisfying single.

WEST INDIES WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE
It was Trinidad v Australia after lunch on the third day at Bourda. Daren Ganga dropped anchor at one end, and remained unbeaten at tea with 65 in well over three hours, but the innings of the day so far was played, almost inevitably, by Brian Lara. He and Ganga batted through the session, adding 123 runs and taking West Indies to within touching distance of Australia's big score.

Lara was watchfulness personified at first. He took a good look at all the bowlers, and made his way to 40 in a sedate 73 balls. But then he broke loose, savaging the spinners. He was particularly severe on Brad Hogg, who was held back until the second half of the session. But eventually Steve Waugh couldn't wait any longer, and Lara took to Hogg, sweeping him repeatedly or, if he pitched short, standing up straight and clubbing him through mid-on or mid-off with an almost-straight bat.

Both Ganga and Lara hit ten fours in their half-centuries, but any similarity ended there. Ganga, struggling for his place in the side, applied himself well, but Lara, who passed 2000 Test runs against Australia during his knock, showed signs of genius – and he silenced the crowd which had given him a mixed reception when he came in.

Waugh, back on after having his hand wound stitched, found that playing five bowlers didn't do him much good. He was reduced to having an unthreatening trundle himself, and even Darren Lehmann got in a low-slung over just before tea.

West Indies are not out of the woods yet: a clatter of wickets would expose the injured Ridley Jacobs and that oh-so-flimsy tail. But honour has been restored, and at a pretty fair lick nearing four an over. The scoring rates have been so fast in this match that it's hard to believe we are little over halfway through it in terms of actual playing time. It all means that there should still be a result, if the weather holds.

STEADY WEST INDIES BATTING AFTER LUNCH
There were no further wickets in the hour after lunch, as the two Trinidadians, Daren Ganga and Brian Lara, consolidated against some ordinary Australian bowling. The Aussies have already sent down 15 no-balls (nine of them by Brett Lee), a sure sign that it’s an off day for them.

The nearest anyone came to a wicket was the last ball before the afternoon drinks interval, when Ganga went down the pitch and slogged wildly at Stuart MacGill. the ball spiralled high over mid-on, but Lee, running back, was unable to get underneath it.

Ganga has survived 110 balls for his 40, while at the other end Lara has played himself in nicely. the deficit is under 100, and Lara can start thinking about the sort of target he’d like to set the Australians in the fourth innings. One thing’s for certain: we’re in for a spot of overtime tonight if the light holds, as still 52 overs remain to be bowled.

WINDIES CLOSE THE GAP
West Indies dragged themselves back towards parity on the third morning of the first Test at Bourda, scoring 106 runs from 31 overs in the slightly elongated session. They did lose two wickets, though, and are still 130 runs in arrears.

The openers took the score past 50 before the first wicket fell. Wavell Hinds had plodded to 7 in 55 balls before Stuart MacGill turned one across him, and he was adjudged lbw by Asoka de Silva. The ball seemed to be turning a long way down the leg side, but Hinds was despatched anyway (52 for 1). He didn’t have too much to complain about, really – in the first over of the day he was trapped plumb in front by Lee, but de Silva shook his head that time.

The bulk of the early scoring was done by Devon Smith, the 21-year-old Grenadian playing in his first Test. A toothy left-hander with a tendency to forget to move his feet, Smith cracked a dozen fours in an aggressive maiden Test fifty, the pick of them a perfect straight-drive that whistled back past Brett Lee before he could react.

The shot that took Smith to his half-century was doubly annoying for the Australians. MacGill looped down a wide one that Smith smashed into the covers. It bounced awkwardly and damaged Steve Waugh’s left hand on its way to the boundary – Waugh ambled off amid Smith’s applause to have stitches in split webbing between his fingers.

Smith hit one more four before Jason Gillespie returned to have him caught behind. Coming round the wicket, Gillespie first induced an airy waft, then moved one away a shade to catch the edge: Adam Gilchrist made no mistake (110 for 2). Smith had gone for a promising 62, carved from just 88 balls.

Smith put on 58 for the second wicket with Daren Ganga, who had come in on a pair. MacGill obligingly sent down a leg-side full-toss which Ganga gratefully put away to the square-leg boundary. Ganga, whose shuffle across the stumps led him into trouble in that brief first innings, managed to keep out an Australian attack which misfired occasionally without those two 400-wicket men, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Brian Lara replaced Smith, and survived until lunch with Ganga, a fellow Trinidadian. Lara will know that only a big score from him is likely to stave off defeat here. It will also go a long way towards winning over the Georgetown crowd, which gave him another mixed reception when he came in. His crime? Replacing a local hero, Guyana’s own Carl Hooper, as captain..

SMITH LEADS THE FIGHTBACK
West Indies, who started the day 236 behind Australia, made a promising start, passing 50 before losing their only wicket. Devon Smith, the 21-year-old Grenadian playing in his first Test, did the bulk of the scoring, cracking 10 fours in reaching 44 after an hour. The pick of them was a perfect straight-drive that whistled back past Brett lee before he could react.

The one wicket to fall was that of Wavell Hinds, who laboured to 7 in 55 balls before Stuart MacGill turned one across him and he was adjudged lbw by Asoka de Silva. the ball seemed to be turning way down the leg side, but Hinds was despatched anyway (52 for 1). Hinds didn’t have too much to complain about, really – in the first over of the day he was caught plumb in front by Lee, but de Silva shook his head that time.

That brought in Daren Ganga, on a pair after his first-innings duck. MacGill served up a friendly leg-side full-toss, which Ganga gratefully flicked to the square-leg boundary. He and Smith took the score to 71 for 1 after 21 overs, when the players paused for drinks.