India draw Test, win series
India snatched a draw from the jaws of victory but won the three Test series 1-0 against the West Indies.
The tourists were set 180 to win in 47 overs - a target made competitive only by a dogged 116 not out from Shivnarine Chanderpaul - and there were signs they were willing to take the challenge on when Murali Vijay and Rahul Dravid were going well.
But they quickly changed tack when Vijay went for 45 and was swiftly followed by Suresh Raina to leave India on 86 for three.
There were another 23 balls bowled - from which only eight runs were scored - and it quickly became clear India were content to sit on what they had and the game was halted as a draw with 15 overs remaining.
The Windies started the fourth innings of the match requiring early inroads and they got off to the perfect start when Abhinav Mukund was trapped leg before wicket by Fidel Edwards from the first ball of the innings.
Vijay and Dravid consolidated before slowly upping the run rate to a position from where victory was a possibility.
But Vijay perished by toe-ending a short ball from Ravi Rampaul to Devendra Bishoo at deep mid-on and, 13 runs later, Raina (eight) followed him back to the pavilion courtesy of a fine diving catch from Rampaul off his own bowling.
Dravid remained on an unbeaten 34 but the chase was over as India decided to defend their 1-0 advantage.
Earlier, Chanderpaul gave the hosts hope of an unlikely victory by masterminding a lower-order effort which enabled the West Indies to post 322 all out.
The home side resumed the final day on 224 for six but Chanderpaul found game partners in Darren Sammy and then, after two quick wickets fell, Edwards to take West Indies onto 294 for eight at lunch.
It was unspectacular, attritional cricket - and they had the ideal man for the job at the crease in the shape of Chanderpaul, the man who in this Test became his country's most capped player.
He managed only 32 in the morning session, taking him to a century which needed 265 balls and contained just five boundaries.
Two wickets then fell in one Harbhajan Singh over as Sammy was controversially given out caught by Mukund although no bat appeared to be involved.
Rampaul was then run out two balls later before Edwards offered further resilience, reaching lunch alongside Chanderpaul having scored just 16 off 57 balls.
Edwards eventually went for 30 off the bowling of Raina, who finished things off by picking up the wicket of Bishoo in his next over.
The tourists were set 180 to win in 47 overs - a target made competitive only by a dogged 116 not out from Shivnarine Chanderpaul - and there were signs they were willing to take the challenge on when Murali Vijay and Rahul Dravid were going well.
But they quickly changed tack when Vijay went for 45 and was swiftly followed by Suresh Raina to leave India on 86 for three.
There were another 23 balls bowled - from which only eight runs were scored - and it quickly became clear India were content to sit on what they had and the game was halted as a draw with 15 overs remaining.
The Windies started the fourth innings of the match requiring early inroads and they got off to the perfect start when Abhinav Mukund was trapped leg before wicket by Fidel Edwards from the first ball of the innings.
Vijay and Dravid consolidated before slowly upping the run rate to a position from where victory was a possibility.
But Vijay perished by toe-ending a short ball from Ravi Rampaul to Devendra Bishoo at deep mid-on and, 13 runs later, Raina (eight) followed him back to the pavilion courtesy of a fine diving catch from Rampaul off his own bowling.
Dravid remained on an unbeaten 34 but the chase was over as India decided to defend their 1-0 advantage.
Earlier, Chanderpaul gave the hosts hope of an unlikely victory by masterminding a lower-order effort which enabled the West Indies to post 322 all out.
The home side resumed the final day on 224 for six but Chanderpaul found game partners in Darren Sammy and then, after two quick wickets fell, Edwards to take West Indies onto 294 for eight at lunch.
It was unspectacular, attritional cricket - and they had the ideal man for the job at the crease in the shape of Chanderpaul, the man who in this Test became his country's most capped player.
He managed only 32 in the morning session, taking him to a century which needed 265 balls and contained just five boundaries.
Two wickets then fell in one Harbhajan Singh over as Sammy was controversially given out caught by Mukund although no bat appeared to be involved.
Rampaul was then run out two balls later before Edwards offered further resilience, reaching lunch alongside Chanderpaul having scored just 16 off 57 balls.
Edwards eventually went for 30 off the bowling of Raina, who finished things off by picking up the wicket of Bishoo in his next over.
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