TEST MEANDERS TO TAME DRAW
If it’s the Eden Gardens, it seems to be a big hundred for VVS Laxman. The Hyderabadi stylist helped himself to a painfully slow unbeaten 154 as the third and final Test meandered to the most tame draw. For his part, Sachin Tendulkar missed out on a golden opportunity to score a double hundred, being dismissed by Cuffy for 176. For his match-saving knock that rescued India from a precarious position of 87/4, Tendulkar was named Man of the Match. Unsurprisingly, Harbhajan Singh’s 20 wickets were enough to win him the Man of the Series award.
Laxman struck an unbeaten 154 after Tendulkar's classy 176 as India salvaged a draw in the third and final test against West Indies to clinch the series 2-0.
fourth test hundred of Laxman’s career came at his favoured venue - Eden Gardens after India opted to bat on until the end rather than make a declaration and push for a whitewash on a wicket that was low and slow.
India reached a mammoth 471 for eight in their second innings and, no chance of an outright result, the umpires declared the match a draw.
The visitors, after suffering huge defeats in the first two tests, had hopes of a face saving win when they took a 139-run first innings lead and reduced India to 87 for four on the fourth day.
But Tendulkar forged a record 214-run fifth wicket partnership with Laxman, who batted with unusual rerticence in support of Tendulkar, who was aggressive and looking for runs at all times.
Tendulkar, who faced 299 balls in his seven-hour knock peppered with 26 boundaries, strained his hamstring and has been ruled out of the one-day series starting on Wednesday.
Laxman's second century against West Indies followed his Indian record 281 at the ground last year, which lifted India to a series-levelling win over Australia after they had followed on.
