Transcendence

Sehwag won the toss and fielded, as he thought there will be dew after 0500 PM. Patel will open the innings with Sehwag and the spin dept will be handled by Jadeja and Ashwin and pace by Aaron, Yadav and V Kumar. WI brought back all rounders Pollard and Andre Russel and rested Rampaul. In 21.2 overs, WI are 88/3. The Indian pace attack struck, with V Kumar, Aaron and U Yadav taking one wicket each. Yadav bowled exceptionally well, bowling consistently around 147 kph. Hyatt had lofted Jadeja for a six and WI are 96/3. Pollard is gone, lofting one Ashwin delivery into the hands of Kohli. Ashwin strikes ! Darren Bravo played magnificently for his 60, till he was clean bowled by Raina ! In the 5th over, an outswinger from V Kumar accounted for Barath (17). In the 6th over, Samuels hit Yadav for two fours.In the 7th over, Simmons hit V Kumar for a six and a four, plundering 13 runs in that over. In the 9th over, Aaron clean bowled Samuels (10). In the 10th over, Yadav clean bowled Simmons.

West Indies were happy to draw with India. India needed two off the last ball. Ashwin was slow in running and was run out with India needing one more to win ! This is an incredible tie. Ojha and Ashwin brought India back into the game with some superb spin bowling, skittling out the Carribeans for a paltry 134. India lost wickets at regular intervals and the maestro Sachin was out for 3. Bishoo and Samuels bowled superbly to restrict India to 242/9. "Defeat would have broken our hearts" said Sammy. "I had all sorts of feelings coming into my mind. At one time, the feeling of a tied Test too came to my mind. I was speaking to Kirk (Edwards) at covers and he said 'we can draw, we won't lose.' To lose the game after scoring 590 would have been heart-breaking for us," a visibly-relieved Sammy said . India just needed 3 runs to win off the last over with 2 wickets in hand and only managed to get only two when Ashwin, the Man of the Match and the Series, was r

"I played with a clear mind" said Kohli, who got his maiden Test fifty. He had struggled in the Carribean, but this time he got 52 off 111 balls and he put on a 97 run partnership with Ashwin, to help India avoid following on. "I was tagged as someone who cannot play the short ball after the West Indies tour. When I went in today, I knew they will throw the short balls at me. I had a blank mind before playing every ball, which helped," said Kohli on Friday. "Test matches are mental mind games and the more clear I leave my mind, the better decision I can make." "To a certain extent I thought I got the West Indies call because so many people took rest. Not having done well there, scoring runs again in a calendar year and getting back into the team was satisfying." "It was a better feeling that you are included as that way you know the selectors and the team management are showing faith in you in doing well in that format. It's a

Ashwin scored a brilliant 103 and along with Virat Kohli (52) saved India from the ignominy of following on. Unfortunately Sachin's jinx of falling in the nineties manifested again. He was out for 94. India scored 482, leaving a 108 run lead to the West Indies. Laxman was taken for 32, Sachin for 94, Kohli for 52 and Ashwin was the last to go for 103 and India had saved the follow on !

India did make a comeback in the last session, but WI piled up a mammoth 575/9 at stumps on the second day. Aaron struck thrice and Ashwin scalped two to reduce WI below the 600 mark, after they wre 494/4 at tea. Darren Bravo scored 166 in 284 balls. Kirk Edwards was out to Ishant for 86. Powell blasted 81 and Samuels 61. Bravo hit Aaron for two consecutive fours, thus revealing his aggressive mindset. Breakthrough came when Edwards nicked Ishant and WI had lost their third wicket. Powell, who replaced Edwards, believed that attack is the best form of defence. Bravo played the sheet anchor role and proved to be the backbone of WI batting. Powell too fell in the eighties. The elegant left hander played a loose cut against Ojha and it was taken brilliantly by Dhoni. Bravo hit the century mark, his third in Tests four - in 153 deliveries. Both Bravo and Powell were in belligerent mood, as WI inched closer to the 500 mark. After hours of toil,

All WI batsmen were successful yesterday as WI piled up 267/2. Four half centuries by the West Indies batsmen - Barath 62, Brathwaite 68, Edwards 65* and Bravo 57* - saw a successful WI batting day. If win this Test match, she will come to the No 1 position. But the Test appears to be moving towards a draw. Even though the Indian pacers bowled at more than 140 kph, both Aaron and Ishant, many catches were not held, but that happens in cricket !. After a 137 partnership between between Barath and Brathwaite, an unfinished 117 run partnership evolved between the 'new Lara", Bravo and Kirk Edwards. Ashwin picked up both wickets.

Glorious batting by Khawaja, Ponting, Haddin, Johnson and Cummins saw the Kangaroos win the second Test. At 215/6, Australia seemed to be against all odds. Then Haddin scored a brilliant 55, Khwaja 65, Ponting 62 and Mitchell Johnson 40 not out, in a great score of 310/8. This was the largest chase at the Wanderers. Cummins cornered glory, as he got seven wickets and hit the winning four to the amazement of the South Africans ! Cummins hard hit was floored by Dale Steyn. If Steyn had taken that catch, history would have been different. But that was not to be. Haddin and Johnson took Australia from 215 to 287, when Haddin was out. Johnson used all his experience to weather the South African speedsters. Rightly, Cummins was adjudged Man of the Match. Philander, with his penchant for both out and in swing was named Man of the Series. This match was providential to Ponting, Haddin and Johnson, who are all at the mercy of the Australian selection panel. But experience proved to be the major