KOLKATA – Rahul Dravid made the most of superb batting conditions at Eden Gardens to post his 36th test hundred and put India in charge after the first day of the second test against West Indies earlier today.
The hosts, after opting to bat first, were 346 for five at the close with Vangipurappu Laxman 73 not out after the umpires decided to suspend play due to bad light with 2.3 overs left in the day.
Dravid (119), rock solid in defence as usual, brought up his fifth test hundred of the year with a flicked boundary to square leg off paceman Kemar Roach to a standing ovation from the sparse crowd.
“It obviously feels that I am in some good form… I have hit a good patch. I am in a good space with my game so I am really trying to make it count, trying to make it last as long as I can,” Dravid told reporters.
“I have been through tough times so I know very well when things are going well, you have to make the most of it… I am just trying to do that.”
He was ready to wait for the loose deliveries and hit nine fours and two sixes during his 207-ball stay before he chopped on part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite to gift the 18-year-old his first test wicket in the penultimate over of the day.
Dravid’s first six off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo came after a gap of 101 balls from his previous boundary and the second six off Marlon Samuels came after he had got past his century.
The 38-year old Dravid added 140 runs for the fourth wicket with Laxman, which put India on course for a big first innings total.
West Indies coach Ottis Gibson, whose side lost the first test, was confident that the visitors could still bounce back tomorrow.
“It was a tough day for us because there was nothing in the pitch for the bowlers,” Gibson said. “Both teams are capable of collapsing as we saw in Delhi (last test) and we are hoping something like that happens here too.”
