Sidhu's ton features in Guyana game

Prem Panicker

Just when you begin to worry about Navjot Singh Sidhu, he goes out there and hits a century. Did it again at the Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana, in the second innings of the ongoing four day game, taking India to a position of strength at the end of day three.

Sidhu's punishing century, in course of which he spanked the Guyana bowlers all round the park on a placid strip that mirrors the one to be used for the fifth Test beginning Thursday April 21, was complemented by an unbeaten 65 from Saurav Ganguly, who had scored a fine 90 in the first innings.

Venkat Laxman, however, all but ruled himself out of the team for the fifth Test, losing his wicket for just 29 runs at the outset of the Indian innings. In the first innings, Ajay Jadeja had opened with Sidhu and scored a century, so it seems pretty certain that it will be the Haryana batsman who will open with Sidhu in the upcoming Test.

At close on day three, India was on 223 for three in the second innings, to give them an overall lead of 264 with one day's play remaining - easily the best performance by the side on this West Indies tour.

Earlier Guyana, responding to India's first innings score of 341 (Jadeja 106, Ganguly 90, Azharuddin 57, Robin Singh 54), responded with 300, thanks mainly to Shivnaraine Chanderpaul's 176.

Much as the stroke-filled innings confirms the young Guyanese left-hander's (Chanderpaul is leading his home side for the first time, in this game) class, it was rather sad to notice that he played little games of one-upmanship. The umpiring, never of the highest class, was not helped by the fact that Chanderpaul kept walking down the pitch to talk to the other batsman even as an appeal was under consideration, and when Azharuddin on one occasion protested to the umpire, Chanderpaul asked him what the fuss was all about.

Not quite cricket, that, and not quite the sort of behaviour Chanderpaul, normally a very sporting cricketer, would like to be known for either.

Meanwhile, for India, Dodda Ganesh and Sunil Joshi took the bowling honours. These two, and Noel David, were given long bowls by acting captain Azharuddin. David bowled with some panache but was, however, content with figures of 20-5-74-1 and that one wicket a tailender's.

Ganesh, meanwhile, obtained surprising lift and bounce on a placid track, to return figures of 25-5-74-3, and in the process would seem to have put the selectors in a bit of a quandary. Prasad will return to head the Indian attack in the fifth Test, Kuruvilla (whose figures here read 14-1-49-0) appears to have established himself as Prasad's opening partner, so where now will Ganesh fit into the equation, given that Bourda is a flat, slow pitch on which the Indians are hardly likely to field three seamers?

Meanwhile, given the spin-friendly nature of the wicket for the fifth Test, Joshi's performance here will have given the team management some hope. Unlike in the Tests when he erred on the side of flighting too much, Joshi kept a good line and length here, and ended the innings with impressive figures of 33-8-98-5, with Chanderpaul alone being able to read him with reasonable competence.

A good position to take into the final day of the four-day game, this. It is unlikely that Azhar will declare at the overnight score - his preference, rather, would be to let Ganguly, Jadeja and maybe even himself get some more batting practise, with the crucial fifth Test just three days away. Be interesting, though, to see how soon the declaration comes and, more to the point, how well the Indian bowlers bowl in the second essay. If Ganesh, Kuruvilla and Joshi manage to grab a few quick wickets, that will do their confidence enormous good in the run-up to the final Test of the ongoing Cable and Wireless Series - a Test, what is more, that India has to win if it is to square the series and return from the Carribbean with honours even.