West Indies' impossible dream ends

The impossible dream ended under lights at the Premadasa Stadium last night but the depleted West Indies team that once more refused to succumb to significantly more tried and tested opponents were just two boundaries away from preserving it for one last hurrah tomorrow.

In the last qualifying match of the triangular IndianOil Cup that would determine which team meets Sri Lanka in the final, India compiled 262 for four, the highest total of the tournament. It was based on a fourth wicket stand of 165 from 178 balls between Yuvraj Singh, who made 110, and Mohammad Kaif, who ended with 83.

West Indies slumped in their chase to 112 for six midway through the 23rd over, then recovered through an impressive stand of 83 between Runako Morton, whose 84 was his highest score for West Indies, and Denesh Ramdin, who unbeaten 74 was likewise. Ramdin and Daren Powell, the last man, arrived at the final over, bowled by Ashish Nehra, the left-arm seamer, with 12 required but they could only raise four singles between them and India won by seven runs to the relief of the Sri Lanka board and the sponsors. A final without India would have been disastrous but they were made to fight all the way to ensure it.

For the first 17 overs, the euphoria of West Indies' previous night's victory over Sri Lanka was sustained as four of the contemporary game's finest batsmen were dispatched for 51 runs after India batted in bright, hot sunshine after winning the toss. Virender Sewag (117 ODIs, 3,429 runs), VVS Laxman (84 ODIs, 2,331 runs) and captain Rahul Dravid (254 ODIs, 8,238) were dismissed by conventional means while Sourav Ganguly (273 ODIs, 10,014 runs) retired to seek hospital attention after taking a blow on the right elbow from Powell. Sehwag was bowled off a no-ball then lbw to Deighton Butler. Laxman was caught behind off Powell and Dravid was bowled off his pads by offspinner Omari Banks' first ball.

Such a dominant position gradually, and then rapidly, unraveled as Yuvraj and Kaif, India's young hopes for the future, took charge with their commanding partnership. It was a repeat of their matchwinning stand of 121 against England in the final of the NatWest Trophy at Lord's three years ago that has gone into Indian cricket folklore. Yuvraj, 23, tall and commanding, counted a six and 11 fours in 110 off 114 balls - his third ODI hundred - before fatigue and cramp brought his downfall in the 46th over to a limp reverse sweep. Kaif, 24, the slim right-hander, carried through to the end for 83 from 103 balls with six fours. A muscular 28 off 13 balls from Mahedra Dhoni, the wicketkeeper, with two huge leg-side sixes off Narsingh Deonarine's speculative offspin at the end, further boosted India. Sylvester Joseph, as he did for most of Sri Lanka's innings in the pervious match, led the team in the absence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul who was down with a viral infection. This time, neither his tactics nor his bowlers could halt the advance of the Indian pair and he clearly erred by using Deonarine during the last few overs, as he did with telling effect against Sri Lanka. Deonarine's last three overs cost 40 and 89 were plundered from the last 10 overs of the innings, 46 off the last four.

Without the steadying guidance of Chanderpaul when they batted, the West Indies adopted such an inappropriate, helter-skelter approach in pursuit of their target that a disheartening end to a challenging, controversial tour seemed inevitable. They were 112 for six in the 24th over when Anil Kumble, India's legendary legspinner, claimed the bamboozled Ricardo Powell as his third wicket. Earlier, Xavier Marshall was lbw and Joseph caught off a spiralling top-edge from a miscued pull, both to Irfan Pathan, one of India's three left-arm swingers, Deonarine unsuccessfully tried to clear mid-off in the 13th over and Banks and Dwayne Smith had no answer to Kumble's mysteries. Smith's 26 included two clean, massive leg-side sixes in an over from Nehra that brought 17 - but it was only 26. A meek submission might have been anticipated but Morton, as much a born again cricketer as a born again Christian, and Ramdin, who has established himself in the past month as the long-term West Indies wicketkeeper and future captain, kept hopes alive with their partnership of 83 off 93 balls characterised by sensible batting.

Morton, his clothing drenched in perspiration and his endurance tested to the limit in the enervating heat and humidity, showed his best form of the tour with an outstanding innings of 84 off 105 balls in the unfamiliar position of opener. It was characterised by assured drives down the ground that brought him most of his six fours and his straight six off Yuvraj's left-arm spin.

As he made his way back to the team room, another 68 were required off 11 overs, the 20-year-old Ramdin was on 32 and only the fast bowlers Tino Best, Butler and Powell remaining. Victory was surely a forlorn hope. Ramdin showed more than once on the tour that no hope is ever forlorn. He so skillfully manipulated the strike, ran between the wickets and smashed the loose delivery to the boundary that he contributed 38 of the 60 added once Morton left to a catch at midwicket.

Hope was raised when Ramdin hit two fours off the 48th over from Nehra and it came down to 12 needed off the final over. Ramdin and Powell only managed four and India - not least new coach Greg Chappell - could breathe a sigh of relief. Success is all that concerns the ultra-critical Indian press and public.