da aposte e ganhe： Contrasting centuries from Brian Lara and Daren Ganga gave WestIndies a handy lead by the end of the third day at Bourda
Steven Lynch12-Apr-2003Contrasting centuries from Brian Lara and Daren Ganga gave WestIndies a handy lead by the end of the third day at Bourda. Some moreapplication is needed, though, as the pitch is benign and the new ball,just a few overs old, is swinging appreciably. Australia, who will have asecond bite of that new ball tomorrow morning, are still slightfavourites, although their fallibility in fourth-innings run-chases will beunder scrutiny again.Lara’s was the innings of the day, studded with trademark whippedstrokes and some savage sweeps. He took a good look at the bowling,taking 73 balls to reach 40, but then cut loose sweeping orpull-driving the spinners and sprinted past Ganga, his partner in astand eventually worth 185. It was Lara’s 19th Test century, and one ofhis finest, played under pressure from the match situation and thecrowd, which again gave him a mixed reception when he came out tobat, because he has replaced the local hero Carl Hooper as captain.For a while it was Trinidad v Australia, as Lara and Ganga battedthrough the middle session without being parted. Lara passed 2000runs against Australia on his way to his seventh century and hisfourth in successive home Tests against them. He had reached alyrical 110, with 20 sumptuous fours, when he was out in a peculiarway. He tried to sweep the left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, but the balllooped up off his forearm and was caught by Matthew Hayden, runninground from slip. The fieldsmen appealed for that, but Adam Gilchristhad 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 divingRicky Ponting at second slip (303 for 4). Samuels then nearly featuredin an even odder dismissal than Lara’s. While acting as ShivnarineChanderpaul’s runner, Samuels dozily wandered over the line asGilchrist whipped off the bails with Chanderpaul firmly rooted in thecrease. But the TV cameras were watching the batsman, not the runnerat point, and the case was not proven. Chanderpaul, the first-inningscenturion, 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 threefifties and sometimes struggling to get the ball off the square. Buttoday, in his first home Test, he found his feet and moved them smartlyto the pitch of the ball. He happily played second fiddle to Lara, butoccasionally unrolled a classic cover-drive or perky pull. He extendedhis maiden Test century to 113, with 19 fours and a clunking six off aMacGill long-hop, before he tired of being tied down by Lehmann andchipped to midwicket (295 for 3) a rare case of Darren bewitchingDaren.Lehmann was only bowling because the Australian attack lackingthose 400-wicket men McGrath and Warne had an off day. Therewere more no-balls than usual 18 in all, 10 of them from Brett Lee and even the fielding was uncharacteristically leaky. Waugh had atrundle himself, despite having to leave the field for a while to havestitches 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-oldGrenadian playing in his first Test. A toothy left-hander with a tendencyto forget his feet-movement, Smith’s aggressive 62 included a dozenmeaty fours, the pick of them a perfect straight-drive that whistled backpast Lee before he could react.Smith eventually feathered Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist (110 for 2). Hehad put on 58 with Ganga, and earlier had dominated an openingstand of 52 with Wavell Hinds, who plodded to 7 in 55 balls beforeMacGill turned one across him. He was adjudged lbw by Asoka deSilva although the ball seemed to be turning a long way down the legside. He didn’t have too much to complain about, really in the firstover of the day he was trapped plumb in front by Lee, but de Silvashook his head that time.West Indies are not out of the woods yet: an early wicket or two with thenew ball will expose the injured Ridley Jacobs and that oh-so-flimsytail. But honour has been restored, and at a pretty fair lick of more than3.5 an over. The scoring rates have been so fast in this match that it’shard to believe there are still two days to go. It all means that thereshould still be a result, if the weather holds.