Indians need 111 more to win

By VINODE MAMCHAN

Reckless batting relegated Trinidad and Tobago yesterday from a position of strength to one of despair at the end of the third day’s play in the Carib Beer Series regional cricket clash against India “A” at the Wilson Road Recreation Ground in Penal.
Scores: TT 262 & 181 vs India “A” 215 & 117/1.
Chasing 228 runs for an unlikely victory the Indians closed the day on 117 for one wicket —- requiring a further 111 runs with nine batsmen in the shed.
Opener Goutam Ghambir and Connor Williams batted bravely in the late afternoon session to post an unbroken 117-run stand for the second wicket. They got the run chase back on track after Marlon Black dismissed Akash Chopra for a second ball “duck”.
Gambir, the more confident of the two batted really well and the large Sunday evening crowd at the park had no choice but to acknowledge another fine Indian performance with the willow.
At the close he was unbeaten on 62 which was spiced with seven fours. The solid Williams had gathered an unbeaten 52 with the help of five hits to the rope.
When play resumes today the Indians will have at least 90 overs to get the required 111 runs. They may however find the going more difficult as the pitch is expected to play increasingly low.
Earlier in the day TT, resuming on their overnight position of 69 without loss, gave the  game back to the Indians with an inept batting display.
Early in the piece Andy Jackson, 48, and Imran Jan, 25, were sent back by the impressive Murali Kartik. With the score at 79 for two, skipper Daren Ganga was left with Dwayne Bravo to stabilise the innings.
They added 43 runs for the third wicket when Ganga fell via the run out route for 22 which included three fours and a six. Bravo soon fell for 19 off Amit Mishra, the pick of the Indian bowlers.
The hosts lost four wickets for the addition of fours runs as Lendl Simmons  fell to Kartik for his second “duck” of the match and Navin Chan also departed for the zero.
At 126 for six the writing was on the wall but Lincoln Roberts and Ravi Rampaul delayed the innings a bit with a partnership of 34 runs. Rampaul, who again showed his worth with the bat, struck a might six over mid-wicket but Mishra gained his revenge, inducing a lob from the right hander with his tally on 21.
 Roberts left next ball for 15 and the innings soon folded for 181.
Mishra finished with five for 30 and Kartik, four for 57.
TT will be looking to spinner Dinanath Ramnarine and Mukesh Persad to bowl out the Indians today, on what can prove a very helpful pitch.
Play gets underway at 10 am.

SCOREBOARD

TT vs India “A”
TT 1st Inns 262
India “A” 1st Inns 215
TT 2nd Inns
(Overnight 69/0)
I Jan c Laxman b Kartik 25
A Jackson b Kartik 48
D Bravo c Ratra b Kartik 19
D Ganga run out 22
L Roberts c Rayudu b Mishra 15
L Simmons LBW Kartik 0
N Chan c Kale b Kartik 0
R Rampaul c Williams b Kartik 21
M Persad c Gambhir b Mishra 12
M Black c Rayudu b Mishra 7
D Ramnarine not out 2
EXTRAS (B4, LB2, NB4) 10
TOTAL (All out) 181
Fall of wkts: 78, 79, 122,125,126,126,160,160,178,181,181.
BOWLING: Balaji 12-3-36-0, Salvi 11-2-52-0, Kartik 31-9-57-4, Mishra
15.2-4-30-5.
India “A” 2nd Inns
A Chopra LBW Black 0
G Gambhir not out 62
C Williams not out 52
EXTRAS (LB1, NB2) 3
TOTAL (For 1 wkt) 117
Fall of wkt: 0.
BOWLING:Black 4-0-14-1, Rampaul 6-1-28-0, Ramnarine 10-1-36-0, Persad
9-1-22-0, Jan 4-2-5-0, Bravo 4-0-11-0.