Irfan set to return, Harbhajan's fate to be known tomorrow

St Lucia, June 9 (UNI) Finetuned by Andy Roberts, Irfan Pathan is all set to bolster the Indian attack as the visitors go into the second Test against the West Indies starting at the Beausejour Cricket Ground here tomorrow, hoping for a win which eluded them in the Antigua thriller.

It was a so-near-yet-so-far for Rahul Dravid's men in Antigua after Wasim Jaffer scripted a brilliant comeback for the side with his maiden double ton.

Six wickets in the final session and a win looked in the offing for Team India but the West Indians proved a hostile hosts.

A hamstrung Fidel Edwards found a friend, philosopher and guide in runner Daren Ganga while Edward's neighbourhood pal Corey Collymore suddenly looked invulnerable to the phalanx of Indian wobbly dobbers.

With the noose around their neck, the West Indian tail wagged and thwarted an Indian win which seemed just a matter of time, especially with Anil Kumble bowling on a fifth day wicket with a pack of close-in fielders swooping at anything coming off the bat.

Dravid said he was proud to be part of a great Test but the defiant West Indies tail have exposed the toothlessness of the Indian attack and the folly of leaving out Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh.

VRV Singh's was an erratic show while S Sreesanth bowled well in bursts. Kumble thrives with Harbhajan Singh operating from the other end but with the turbanator warming the bench, the leggie was not the same force.

Now Sreesanth being ruled out with a heel injury, Team India think-tank has no other option but to bring back Pathan, even though people like Wasim Akram wonder why the Baroda seamer was dropped in the first place.

Harbhajan's fate would hang in balance till tomorrow morning and with Virender Sehwag doing a smarter job with the ball than his inconsistent bat, the offie would have his spinning fingers crossed.

People may question his class but Jaffer proved he possesses the right temperament and the Mumbai right-hander looked a perfect foil for his illustrious partner Sehwag.

Dravid remains rock solid in the middle while Mahendra Singh Dhoni's penchant for going nuclear has a demoralising effect on the rival bowlers.

West Indies, on the other hand, would go into the match knowing well that Dame Luck played her part in helping them snatch a draw from the mouth of defeat.

Chris Gayle's batting has been a revelation and the lanky left-hander showed he can pace his innings well.

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are the middle order mainstay while Brian Lara is the Real McCoy and though runs have not really flown from his willow, his penchant for big score is only well known.

Dwayne Bravo has emerged as a talismanic allrounder for the hosts while Dave Muhammad showed even the leg-spinners can be attacking batsman and his aggressive half-century in Antigua in testing circumstances speaks volume of his gusto.

Indians would try to avoid the mistakes it made in Antigua and had it not been for Jaffer's double ton, things could have gone terribly wrong for Dravid's men. The wound after conceding the ODI series has not healed yet and the Men in Blue will go out tomorrow to settle a few scores.

Teams (from): West Indies : Chris Gayle, Runako Morton, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Pedro Collins, Jerome Taylor, Ian Bradshaw and Corey Collymore.

India: Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and VRV Singh.

Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak) and Simon Taufel (Aus) Third umpire: Steve Bucknor (WI) Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ).

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