India-West Indies test in the balance

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 24

India-West Indies test in the balance

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

MADRAS.

India finished the second day of the fourth test 83 runs ahead of West Indies with six second-innings wickets in hand and the match hanging very much in the balance.

If India can set West Indies a target of 200 when the match resumes today after the rest day it might yet win the match and level the series at 2-all.

Gundappa Viswanath, who was 97 not out for India in its first-innings, is still there, but the loss of the captain, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, in the last over of the day was a severe blow to India.

Fine off-spin bowling by Erapalli Prasanna restricted West Indies to a first-innings lead of only two, and they were all out for 192, 40 minutes after lunch. Prasanna took five for 70 and Bishen Bedi, the left-arm spinner, three for 40 for India. Prasanna brought about a total collapse of the

West Indies batting as five wickets went down for 27 runs, and only some big hitting by the last pair, Andy Roberts and Lance Gibbs, gave them a lead at all.

Roberts, who took seven wickets for 64 in the Indian first innings, came in for some rough handling when Engineer and Eknath Solkar began the second knock. His first two overs cost 15 runs, and Boyce also was expensive.

The fourth bowler tried, Julien, had Solkar’s wicket in his first over, but at 57 for one, India was nicely placed at tea.

Only eight runs later Engineer was bowled by an offcutter frqm Vanburn Holder. Viswanath and Mankad then seemed to forget about making runs. Mankad did not score for more than 45 minutes after Engineer’s dismissal, and was then bowled by Boyce. Lloyd brought back Roberts with his greater speed to test Pataudi, and the Indian captain was trapped leg before wicket.

Only 28 runs came off 21 overs in the 90 minutes after tea. •

WEST INDIES First innings (36/3 overnight)

R. C. Fredericks c Solkar b Chavri 14 C. G. Greenldge c Prasanna b Bedl 14 A. I. Kallicharran c Viswanath b Bedi .. .. 17 V. A. Holder hit wkt b Bedi 0 L V. A. Richards c Chandrasekhar b Prasanna .. 50 C. H. Lloyd c Viswanath b . Prasanna 39 D. L. Murray c Engineer b Prasanna .. 8 B. D. Julien e and b Prasanna 2 K. D. Boyce e Bedi b Prasanna 0 L. R. Gibbs riot out .. .. 14 A. M. E. Roberts lbw b Chandrasekhar .. .. 17 Extras (b 7 IblO) .. ..17

Total 192 FaU of wickets: 20, 35 35, 70, 138, 155, 160, 160. 165. '

Bowling.—Ghavrl, 6,0, 25, 1; Haden Lal, 20, 7,0; Prasanna. 23, 6, 70, 5; Bedi, 19. 7. 40. 3; Chandrasekhar, 9.2. 1, 33, 1. INDIA

First innings 190 Second innings F. M. Engineer b Holder .. 23 E. D. Solkar c Kallicharran

b Julien 15 A. V. Mankad b Boyce .. 20 G. R. Viswanath not out .. 10 M. A. K. Pataudi lbw b Roberts 4 E. A. S. Prasanna not out .. 0 Extras (163, nbs) .. .. 8 Total for four wickets .. 85 Fall of wickets: 40, 65, 73, 85. Bowling.—Roberts. 6 2, 27, 1; Boyce. 6, 1 22, 1; Holder. 13, 6, 15, 1; Julien, 4,2, 8. 1; Gibbs, 7,4, 5, 0.