Dravid digs deep,drops anchor

How many friends do you think Darren Sammy has right now? he was asked. He didnt break his head much before quipping,a few family friends at the most.

That Sammys popularity,if there ever was one,is at the lowest possible ebb in the Caribbean presently is as obvious as the threatening consequences of dropping Rahul Dravids catch early on in his innings during a Test match. And the beleaguered West Indian skipper was soon to find out how horribly true the latter was.

Considering the bad press and the incessant doubts that are raised about his place in the team,he could have ill-afforded it. Dravid was still just settling in,despite the authoritative on-drive he had played in the previous over.

Corridor of uncertainty

For a better part of last season,the veteran had developed a near-weakness outside his off-stump,and had got out edging to the slip-cordon on a number of occasions. And it looked like it had returned to haunt him,as he edged an away-going delivery from Ravi Rampaul straight in the direction of Sammy at second slip. The ball arrived at a comfortable catching height-near his mid-riff-but all Sammy could do was juggle with it before finally letting it hit the floor. Dravid,batting on 6,had been given a huge reprieve and the West Indians had lost a huge opportunity to shift the pressure onto the Indians. And they seemed to know it.

Having spent a lot of time at the crease and being dismissed for 30 in the first essay,Dravid was never going to waste this second life at the crease this time around . Three balls later,he added some salt to Sammys wounded ego by cutting Rampaul for an elegant boundary. Following that boundary,however almost predictably,he simply dropped anchor.

Though not quite a difficult wicket to bat on,the Sabina Park track did play quite a few tricks intermittently. And the West Indian bowlers to their credit kept the ball in the right areas more often than not. But Dravid had gotten his eye in by then,and he soon played an exquisite off drive off Rampaul before welcoming Devendra Bishoo with a fearsome cut for another boundary.

Five years ago,as skipper back then,Dravid had top-scored in both innings at Sabina Park in a low-scoring Test similar to this one to lead India to a win and a series victory after 35 years.

And he seemed in a similar mood here. Along the way he also had to play a guiding role to two debutants on the same day 15 years ago,the Karnataka stalwart had played his debut knock against England at Lords. Dravid shepherded Abhinav Mukund expertly to start with,sharing a 56-run stand,before helping Virat Kohli through a strenuous spell against a pacy Fidel Edwards.

Kohli didnt last too long on the third morning,but Dravid waged on and soon brought up yet another Test half-century with another powerful cut off Bishoo.

Waiting game

Owing to the two-paced nature of the wicket,Dravid refrained from driving unless the ball was pitched right up to him,and depended more on waiting for the shorter deliveries and putting them away even opening the face of his bat on a couple of occasions to guide the ball through the slip-cordon for fours. The hosts kept nipping away at the wickets but Dravid stood steadfast giving the West Indians a good view of the middle of his bat for a better part of Day Three.

The pace of Edwards,the accuracy of Rampaul and Sammy,and Bishoos grip and turn did pose questions to Dravid,but the chance to get rid of him had gone abegging too long back. And though Sammy did produce a mini late-collapse,nothing it seemed could stop Dravid from cruising to his 32nd Test ton.