PORT-OF-SPAIN, NOV 23: Baroda right-hander Jacob Martin top-scored with 75 as India A batted all day to reach 273 for six and earn a draw in the opening `Test' against West Indies `A' here.Resuming their second innings yesterday on 54 for one, still trailing the home team by nine runs, the Indians used the fourth and final day of the match for batting practice.Fast bowlers Nixon McLean and Dwight Mais were the best of the bowlers. Vincent's McLean took two for 34 off 16 overs, while Jamaican Mais grabbed two for 48 off 14 overs.Martin's overnight partner Gagan Khoda fell after half an hour in the morning, taking his overnight score from 14 to 19. The Rajasthan opener edged a back foot shot off Mais to Chris Gayle at first slip.Jadgish Arunkumar, who opened with Khoda in India's first innings, joined Martin and put together the best partnership of the innings. The pair added 71 for the third wicket in two hours and 45 minutes. The 27-year-old Martin added 39 to his overnight score of 36 beforehe sliced a drive to backward point off McLean half an hour after lunch to end the association.Arunkumar, 29 when Martin was dismissed, became more aggressive when joined by his skipper Kanitkar. The 24-year-old from Karnataka was particularly severe on leg-spinner Rawl Lewis, taking 14 runs off one over, including two lofted straight hits for four and one that cleared the fence at extra cover.But two runs away from his half century, Arunkumar dragged a short ball from Mais back onto his stumps. His innings spanned 163 minutes and 100 balls and was spiced with five fours and a six.Kanitkar hit one four and also lofted Lewis onto the cycling track before his positive 46-ball knock was ended by a wicket-keeper's catch off off-spinner Gayle just before tea.Kaif, an elegant right-hander from Uttar Pradesh, remained until the end, batting for 165 minutes, receiving 138 balls and striking one four.He added 45 for the sixth wicket with diminutive wicket-keeper Dige, whose 29 included three fours andlasted 73 minutes and 65 balls. A brilliant catch at short extra cover by Gayle accounted for Dighe off the persevering Lewis.Harvinder Singh Sodhi compiled an undefeated 19 before the match was called off after 11 of the mandatory 15 overs in the final hour.The Indians play their next match against Guyana starting on Thursday before the second and final `Test' begins on November 30, also in Guyana. ScoreboardIndia A (1st innings): 226West Indies A (1st innings): 289India A (2nd innings; overnight 54-1): Gagan Khoda c Gayle b Mais 19, Sridharan Sriram lbw b McLean 0, Jacob Martin c Hinds b McLean 75, Jagdish Arunkumar b Mais 48, Hrishikesh Kanitkar c Phillip b Gayle 30, Mohd Kaif not out 54, Samir Dighe c Gayle b Lewis 29, Harvinder Singh Sodhi not out 19; Extras: (lb2, nb7) 9. Total: (for 6 wickets, 103 overs) 283Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-59, 3-130, 4-155, 5-195, 6-240Bowling: Nixon McLean 16-2-34-2, Goldwyn Prince 17-4-43-0, Dwight Mais14-2-48-2, Rawl Lewis 29-2-91-1, Ryan Hinds 11-3-29-0, Jimmy Adams 7-3-13-0, Chris Gayle 8-2-20-1, Daren Ganga 2-1-3-0Result: Match Drawn
