All Too Predictable

The rain and the collapse that happened around it were according to the script. Less than half the day was possible as rain and bad light dogged the 2nd Test at Bridgetown.

Shiv Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels provided the only stiffening agent in a flaccid West Indies batting line up but once their 77 run partnership was broken, the end came quickly. The total of 190 came at a crawl, just over two and a half an over. Inshant Sharma took six wickets but Praveen Kumar will have days when he bowls a lot worse than this and takes great bags of wickets. In the end, the pace and bounce of the Indians has continued to be too much for the West Indians but its not their courage that is in question, its their technique.

Chanderpaul played on, bottom edging a ball which wasn't short enough to pull. Harbhajan exposed Carlton Baugh again. Unsure of what length to play at, he flashed at a full ball outside off and Dravid held a sharp catch to his left at first slip, showing why he should still be playing and other's of his age and record shouldn't. Its one thing to be seeing them well but Dravid still has the reflexes of a cat where others pouch the ball like elephants. Samuels did his best with the tail, adding 43 with a for once resolute Darren Sammy, who was lbw to Sharma as he tried to whip a ball past square leg. The rain came again but after the resumption, Sharma finished it having Rampaul caught in the gully and Edwards down the legside. Samuels batting continues to be encouraging, with this his second half century in the three innings since he returned to the side after a three years absence.

India extended their first innings lead in the brief five overs before rain and light took out the rest of the day but not before Fidel Edwards, fast but erratic as usual - can one be consistently erratic? - bowled his third lot of five wides for the match over Baugh's head and followed it with four byes.

It all depends on the rain now.