Chanderpaul defies odds,India

Left-hander scores century and shares a crucial ninth-wicket partnership with Fidel to stall visitors charge.

With both feet facing the bowler,its as front-on as it can get when it comes to a batting stance. Often described as being crab-like with the back-lift,which has his bat pointing somewhere towards point,Shivnarine Chanderpaul breaks every rule in the cricketing textbook each time he prepares to face a ball. Unfathomable to most even Rahul Dravid was seen trying to mimic the Chanderpaul stance before shaking his head in puzzlement while standing at slip the 36-year-old Guyanese left-hander has provided immense incredulity to his peers and fans alike with his success with the bat. For Indian teams in particular,he has also been a serious thorn in the flesh and also a major source of irritation Ishant Sharma didnt think twice before calling him the most irritating batsman to bowl at in international cricket.

And as he withdrew his bat at the last moment in his inimitable fashion from an away going ball from Ishant on Saturday,all the lanky pacer from Delhi could do was shake his head,like many bowlers before him,and try another time. The annoyance at the end of the day was understandable.

But when he ambled out to bat with his willow as always slung over his left shoulder in West Indiess second innings at Windsor Park,he would have had a lot of things going through his head. Not only has Chanderpaul struggled to be among the runs of late,turmoil in life outside cricket has meant that every innings of his is always under serious scrutiny both in his own head and for everyone associated with West Indian cricket. Here again the hosts had their backs to the wall. The score read 40/3 and not for the first time during his illustrious career,Chanderpaul had to bear the responsibility of bailing his team out of trouble. But this time he also had to score,probably to save his Test career.

As ungainly as he might look at the crease,Chanderpaul has made looking ugly at the crease work for him. An average close to 49,over 22 Test centuries before the one here and a number of match-saving innings are testament to his effectiveness at the crease. And in front of a packed crowd,it almost seemed inevitable that Chanderpaul would overcome all odds once again to reign supreme. And not surprisingly he did,scoring his sixth century against the Indians his average against them now stands at 67 importantly consuming 343 balls and 501 minutes to quell the visitors charge towards victory.

He hit only five boundaries in all and his innings as always was built up through nudges and prods,mainly behind square on the leg-side. Chanderpaul did survive a dropped catch Dravid for once let go a slip catch off Harbhajan on 25,but from thereon there was no looking back.

The crowds continued to pour into the stadium,beating their drums,blowing their horns,bugles and conch-shells. They filled the seats,and for the first time during the series,some even managed to prop themselves up on the surrounding trees. It was cricket,lovely cricket all over again in the Caribbean.

Contentious decisions

Earlier,umpire Richard Kettlebourough,officiating in only his second Test and a last-minute replacement for the beleaguered Daryl Harper,didnt make himself any popular with the crowd,dishing out to contentious decisions first adjudging Marlon Samuels lbw on the fourth evening,and then giving Darren Sammy out caught at short-leg,when the ball clearly had missed his bat.

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On Sunday,Chanderpaul found an able and determined ally in Fidel Edwards after West Indies had sunk to eight wickets down with the lead just 103. But the fast bowler,who survived a blow to his ear from a Munaf Patel bouncer,kept his cool for 103 balls,helping Chanderpaul get to his century and sharing a crucial 65-run stand with the veteran to take West Indies past 300 for the first time in the series,and set up an enthralling final session on the last day of the tour.