Rain forces a draw in first Test
Faisal Shariff
Day Five
No play was possible on the final day of the first Test between India and the West Indies at the Bourda Oval, Georgetown, Guyana. Heavy overnight rains and an inadequate drainage system at the ground forced a tame draw to the high scoring game.
With more rains predicted for the day, umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka decided to call off the match without a single ball being bowled on Monday.
India, at 395 for seven, in reply to West Indies' first innings score of 501, seemed to have ended the Test on equal footing after vice-captain Rahul Dravid, unbeaten on 144, and Sarandeep Singh, on 39, wove a fighting eighth-wicket alliance which fetched India a record 120 runs.
Their efforts pulled the team out of trouble after three quick wickets on the morning of the fourth day had raised fears that India might stop short of the follow-on mark of 301.
The second Test commences on Friday, April 19, at Port-of-Spain, the scene of India's only successes in the West Indies, in 1971 and '76.
Day 1 report
Day 2 report
Day 3 report
Day 4 report
Detailed scorecard
