Browne error saves Pakistan

KINGSTON: On the same ground where his dropped catch off Steve Waugh proved telling in Australia’s reclaiming of the Frank Worrell Trophy 10 years earlier, West Indies wicketkeeper Courtney Browne committed another glaring error on the third day of the second and final Digicel Test against Pakistan yesterday that has already been expensive and may yet become decisive over the remaining two days of the match. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who missed first ball by Browne off the outstanding pacer Corey Collymore, resumes on the fourth morning on 64, having lifted Pakistan to 223 for four, a lead of 193 runs.

With the mercurial Shahid Afridi (16) set to resume with his captain, and the likes of Abdul Razzaq and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal still to come, the tourists will back themselves to post a challenging target for the West Indies in the fourth innings as they seek victory to square the series. It was a nightmarish day for Browne, who was dismissed for a first-ball “duck” by Shabbir Ahmed as the home team eventually totalled 404 half-an-hour after lunch. Brian Lara reached 153 before becoming the first wicket to fall in the day, while Collymore claimed the first three wickets of the Pakistan second innings to lift his match tally to ten for 114 so far. Yet on a day that also saw Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria being warned off from bowling after encroaching onto the pitch too often, everything else was dwarfed by the enormity of Browne’s lapse.

The 34-year-old Barbadian had already claimed a straightforward catch off Collymore in the same over to remove opening batsman Shoaib Malik for a Test-best score of 64. Two balls later, Asim Kamal, sent in ahead of Inzamam, was palpably leg-before without scoring, leaving the Pakistanis decidedly uneasy at 119 for three — a lead of just 89 runs — less than an hour into the final session of the day. The ebullient West Indian mood should have turned to ecstasy just seconds later when Inzamam pushed indecisively at Collymore. But to the stunned disbelief of the best crowd of the Test, Browne snared the catch moving in front of Chris Gayle at first slip only to spill the chance even before he fell to the ground.

The error immediately rekindled memories of previous costly mistakes by the keeper, including letting Waugh off the hook on his Test debut, dropping a dolly off India’s Sachin Tendulkar at the 1996 World Cup and missing Jacques Kallis on the last day of the first Digicel Test against South Africa just over two months ago in Georgetown where the classy right-hander’s unbeaten hundred ensured that the visitors saved the match with some comfort. Immediately forgotten by highly volatile fans was his heroic match-winning innings in the ICC Champions’ Trophy final against England last September, and while he is favoured by head coach Bennett King because of his discipline and impressive work ethic, this latest high-profile mistake in his 20th Test will put even more pressure on the regional selectors to discard him for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka and look to more youthful glovemen.

Not one to waste such an opportunity, Inzamam capitalised on the frequent wayward deliveries from all the bowlers, with the notable exception of the impressive Collymore. His 40th Test half-century and second of the match was reached off just 57 balls with six fours. Like Lara in the West Indies first innings, he seemed in the mood to carry on for another big innings, especially after first innings centurion Younis Khan was caught-and-bowled by Gayle for 43 half-an-hour before the close, ending a 75-run partnership with his captain. There was considerably less drama when Wavell Hinds had missed Yasir Hameed at third slip off Tino Best at the start of the Pakistan second innings.

Hameed got to 26, putting on 66 with Malik, when Collymore struck in just his second over, having the right-hander caught high at third slip by Devon Smith. A confident Younis joined Malik in adding another 53 runs before Collymore’s eventful over that first lifted and then deflated the West Indian players and their expressive fans. Sabina was filled with anticipation in the morning as Lara resumed on 125 in partnership with Hinds. The masterful left-hander again looked in total control and the West Indies seemed to gain a significant advantage when Kaneria, in his 29th over, encroached onto the danger area of the pitch on his follow through once too often and with his second official warning by Australian umpire Darrell Hair, his bowling for the innings was finished.

Yet the incident, which prompted Inzamam to take the second new ball, worked in Pakistan’s favour as Shabbir, oblivious to growing disquiet about his highly suspect action, removed Lara for 152 to a lifter that touched the batsman’s glove on the way through to Akmal. Browne’s instant demise, also caught behind, reduced the West Indies to 326 for six, but Powell helped Hinds in adding 31 runs before a loose shot gave Akmal another catch and Shabbir his fourth wicket. Afridi claimed the last three wickets after the lunch interval, bowling an ambitious Best, having Reon King LBW and then ending the resistance of Hinds, whose 63 — his second consecutive fifty — was decorated with 11 boundaries before he cut at the leg-spinner and gave a catch to Hameed at slip. The first half of the day was already packed with drama and incident, but few could have anticipated that there was so much more to come. (CMC)