India opt not to press for victory as 3rd Test ends in draw

Needing 180 for a win from 47 overs, India were 94 for three after 32 overs yesterday but they decided to end their run chase just before the start of 15 mandatory overs on a Windsor Park pitch which was not too bad for a fifth day track.

Rahul Dravid was batting on 34 while V V S Laxman was giving him company on three when India decided to close shop and their offer of a draw was readily accepted by the hosts.

Initially, India appeared serious on the chase when Murali Vijay (45) and Dravid put on 73 runs for the second wicket and West Indies began resorting to negative tactics by asking leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to bowl down the legside.

India clinched the three-match series 1-0 with the lone victory coming at Kingston, Jamaica in the opening Test. The second Test at Bridgetown, Barbados had also ended in a draw.

With this, India recorded their third series victory in the Caribbeans, having achieved the feat in 1971 and 2006 under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar and Dravid respectively.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni' side, however, missed out on a chance to beat West Indies 2-0 in their own backyard for the first time. The 1971 and 2006 series victories by India were also by 1-0 margins.

In a reflection of their domination over the West Indies in recent times, India's series win was also the third in a row after the 2-0 victory in the three-match Test series at home in 2002-03 and 1-0 win in the Caribbeans in 2006.

India had a terrible start to their run chase when opener Abhinav Mukund (0) was adjudged leg before wicket to Fidel Edwards off the first delivery of the innings and both Vijay and Dravid had a couple of close calls against the new ball.

The first signs of changing equations in India's favour appeared when Vijay jumped out of his crease to cart Darren Sammy for a near six to midwicket and Dravid pulled a short delivery from Devendra Bishoo in the same direction.

At the first drinks break in the final session, India had moved to 64 for one with Vijay on 40 and Dravid on 22 and the hosts had begun to feel the heat with 116 required from 28 remaining overs.

West Indies dropped guard when they spread the field and Bishoo began pitching his leg-spinners much beyond the leg stump. It immediately worked to the hosts' advantage as both Vijay and Dravid found it difficult to break the shackles.

A frustrated Vijay then pulled a Ravi Rampaul delivery from outside the off-stump to mid-on fielder after making 45 runs and sharing a 73-run second wicket stand with Dravid. Vijay faced 78 balls and hit four fours.

India still showed their intent to chase down the target by promoting Suresh Raina (8) up the order but once the left-hander offered a return catch to Rampaul, they gave up.

The appearance of Laxman from the dressing room, with 94 required from 18-odd overs, was a clear signal that India were not going to chase down the target with two discarded ODI players in the middle.

Earlier, West Indies staged a remarkable fightback with veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul leading the way with a defiant unbeaten 116, his 23rd Test century and sixth against India.

The hosts, down in the dumps at 224 for six, ahead by just 81 runs before the start of day's play, kept India in the field for 48-odd overs to take their score to 322 all out.

Chanderpaul was the batting hero of the hosts and his 65-run association with Fidel Edwards (30), which consumed 37 overs, was the proverbial straw which broke the back of the Indians.

India, however, had looked good to wrap up the West Indies innings in the pre-lunch session itself when they got rid of Sammy (17) and Ravi Rampaul (0) in a space of four deliveries.

Sammy had added 32 runs with Chanderpaul in convincing style before umpire Richard Kettleborough wrongly adjudged him out caught at forward short leg though the ball had gone off the pads.

Rampaul was ruled run out though the television replays suggested Dhoni's gloves might have disturbed the stumps before Ishant Sharma hit the timbers.

New man Fidel Edwards had a nasty reception at the wicket when a rising delivery from Munaf Patel smacked him below his right ear and he needed a prolonged medical treatment at the pitch.

Chanderpaul, who resumed at 73, was determination personified, manipulating the field with his deft placements and glides.

Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, who shared the second new ball, looked lacklustre and only off-spinner Harbhajan Singh looked like taking wickets with his probing spin.

Suresh Raina then struck for the visitors, claiming the final two wickets in successive overs. He first had Edwards caught in the deep and then Devendra Bishoo fell to a catch in the slips. Edwards batted for 157 minutes and faced 106 balls, hitting two fours.

Chanderpaul remained at the crease for 471 minutes and hit five fours from 373 balls.

Harbhajan Singh was the most successful bowler for the Indians with four for 74 while Raina and Praveen Kumar had two scalps each. Ishant Sharma claimed one wicket.