Indies win final test by default

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34138, 27 April 1976, Page 38

Indies win final test by default

(N Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) KINGSTON (Jamaica). The West Indies won the controversial fourth and final cricket test at Sabina Park yesterday by 10 wickets after India's shock secondinnings declaration at five for 97.

The openers, Roy Fredericks and Lawrence Rowe, needed only 11 balls to score the 13 runs needed for victory to clinch the series 2-1. It was the first test result at Sabina Park for 11 years. The West Indies was the last team to win there, beating Australia in the first test of the 1965 series.

But the declaration by the Indian captain. Bishen Bedi, marked a sad end to India’s hopes of taking the series. With half his team dismissed and three more players unable to bat because of injuries suffered at the hands of the West Indies pacemen, Bedi decided to give Up the struggle. Yesterday, Bedi insisted he had not declared his second innings and said that five of his side were either absent injured or unable to bat. India’s innings should therefore be officially recorded as 97 all out he said, and not five for 97 declared for the second innings. He told reporters: “Chandrasekhar had a bruised hand and I had a bruised finger and could not hold * bat,’ 1

He said Brijesh Patel, hit in the face during the second day’s play by a lifting ball from Vanbum Holder, was still feeling groggy yesterday “but could probably have batted on the sixth day." Gundappa Viswanath had one finger of his right hand dislocated and broken by Holding when he was caught at backward short leg. Anshuman Gaekwad, hit on the left ear by Holding, spent 24 hours in hospital under observation and on Sundav was still not able to stand because of dizzy spells. Bedi said he had declared his first innings at six for 306 “in disgust,” but then changed his wording to say his decision had been made for “self-preservation.” Neither Bedi nor Chandra-

sekhar batted in the first innings. “Suppose we had got hit on the head . . . who would have done the bowling?” Bedi asked. Bedi said he had been in agony with a chipped little finger bone while he bowled. He was injured holding a fierce drive from Vivian Richards. Asked why he did not field against the West Indies in their second innings, as they needed to gat only 13 runs, Bedi said: “I didn’t think it was necessary.” Describing Michael Holding’s bowling as “war," in the first two days, Bedi said he had no complaints about the Jamaican yesterday. The West Indies captain, Cliva Lloyd, who helped re-

lax the earlier tension by shaking hands with Bedi in the press box, said he was pleased to have won the series.

“It’s a difficult job but I’m still enjoying it, even though my life is riddled with criticisms.”

He again defended the bowling by Holding and said he had seen no need to tell him to bowl any differently, especially on the second day when the pitch livened up considerably. Lloyd said there was a “round patch” on the pitch just short of a good length at the northern end which made the ball fly, "but too often the Indian batsmen were running from the bowling.” i