A pulsating 149 from Shiv Chanderpaul was not enough
to save West Indies from a 14-run defeat against India in the first of the four-match
one-day series.
Sourav Ganguly hit 98 before Mahendra Dhoni and Rahul
Dravid smashed a stand of 119 from 71 balls in Indias 338-3.
Chris Gayle and Chanderpaul fired 80 in just over 12
overs in reply but the Windies began to fall behind the rate.
Brian Lara got them on track with two sixes in 31 and
Chanderpaul hit five fours in six balls but was just denied.
Ganguly, making his first appearance in coloured clothing for
16 months, put on 144 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir.
On a lifeless track at Napgurs Vidarbha Cricket Association
Stadium, he lofted seamer Daren Powell for six over long-off to reach
his half-century.
Another Ganguly six, off Gayle, disappeared way over long-off and the landed
outside the stadium, but he was denied a 23rd one-day century when he was run
out by Dwayne Smith.
When Lara came to the crease in the 34th over of the West Indies innings, a
formidable 164 were still needed with seven wickets remaining.
The skipper launched Sachin Tendulkar for a magnificent straight six, and added
another off Harbhajan Singh which landed on the roof, followed by a feasrome
cut which raced for four.
Having reduced the asking rate to 98 from 58 balls, he advanced down the wicket
to Tendulkar again, but the Indian maestro saw him coming, fired the ball well
wide of off-stump as Lara backed away a fraction and Dhoni executed a neat stumping.
Chanderpaul hit consecutive fours off Ajit Agarkar and
then fired three successive boundaries when Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was brought
back to bowl the 48th over.
He came within inches of hooking a fourth but Harbhajan
Singh limited the scoring to a single and from the next delivery, Dinesh
Ramdin top-edged to square-leg to become the seventh wicket to fall.
With 12 balls left 33 were needed, but Chanderpaul retained hope when he swung
his third six of a remarkable innings.
Sreesanth bowled the final over with 20 needed and Ian Bradshaw was run out
from the opening delivery as Chanderpauls drive went straight back to the bowler
with the non-striker stranded.
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