India 63, lose four wickets; moist pitch helps WI bowlers

Kingston, Jamaica, June 30 (UNI) West Indies bowlers continued to have a strangle-hold over Indian batsmen prising out two more wickets in the first hour after lunch of the last test.

India were 63 for four from 43 overs as scoring was made painfully difficult by the West Indies bowlers.

India lost Laxman immediately after tea when he edged Bravo to substitute Runako Morton for 18. Laxman faced 96 balls for his 18 and India were 34 for three.

Yuvraj Singh was dropped a couple of overs later at short leg off Bravo. Yuvraj's stay at the crease was extremely shaky as he struggled to cope with the pace of the wicket. In the middle of his nervous start Yuvraj managed to hit a couple of fours off Bravo.

Lara replaced Bravo with Jerome Taylor and the move paid of.

A toe crunching yorker from Taylor sent Yuvraj limping back to the pavilion out lbw for 19. India lost their fourth wicket for 58.

Kaif was also lucky to survive when he played Taylor on the up in the gully region where the fielder got both the hands to the ball but couldn't complete the catch.

Rahul Dravid stayed at one end making 18 runs off 102 deliveries. Having opted to bat first after winning toss and fielding an attack of only two seamers, India need a long knock from the skipper to survive the blues.

Earlier, West Indies bowlers were on top after India chose to bat in the last test being played here at the Sabina Park.

At lunch India were 29 for two, losing the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer.

India made a disastrous start losing two quick wickets in the first four overs.

India could have been much worse off, if all the catches that the batsmen offered were taken. Laxman was let off twice in the slips cordon as the West Indies pacers toiled hard on a helpful wicket.

Sehwag tried to play a rising delivery on his ribs from Pedro Collins to the on side but only managed to lob an easy catch to Ramnaresh Sarwan at forward short leg. Sehwag went for duck and India was 1 for 1.

VVS Laxman survived a scare next ball when his edge just fell short of Gayle at first slips.

Jerome Taylor bowled an express delivery that nipped back in and shattered the stumps of Jaffer to leave India tottering at 3 for 2.

The first few overs here at the Sabina Park have provided good bounce and assistance to pacers. In an eventful first few over, Sarwan at forward short leg was hit by a powerful on drive from Laxman and had to be taken off the field.

Sarwan was hit badly below knee and didn't came back to field in the first session.

Laxman was dropped once more in the 16th over by Lara off Collymore. Laxman survived the chance on his personal score of 5.

Dravid and Laxman completely dropped anchors trying to steer India out of troubled waters.

There was some moisture beneath the pitch surface that came up in the morning helping the West Indies pacers. All the four bowlers were able to extract purchase from the surface and made scoring extremely difficult for the Indians. Dravid and Laxman showed extra caution as 12 overs before lunch were bowled maiden.

Such was the slowness of Indian scoring that only 8 runs were scored in the first hour.

MORE UNI XC AD VP0225