West Indies v India - Tour Match

Jamaica XI v Indians
Sabina Park, Kingston
4 Day Game
Umpires: D Sang Hue & EA Nicholls
Toss: Indians

Jamaica XI: AF Rae, JKC Holt, LG Rowe, EH Mattis, JC Adams, MLC Foster, +*FCM Alexander, NO Perry, FA Rose, R Gilchrist, BP Patterson.
Indians: SM Gavaskar, +FM Engineer, DB Vengsarkar, VL Manjrekar, PR Umrigar, *MAK Pataudi, Kapil Dev, M Prabhakar, J Srinath, KD Ghavri, BS Bedi.

Batsmen prospered on a featherbed at Sabina Park, and the Indians will not mind in the slightest if the surface prepared for the Test here plays in the same fashion. Gavaskar and Engineer opened up with a partnership of 112 after Pataudi won the toss and elected to bat, and whilst Engineer fell short of his century Gavaskar was not to be denied, advancing to 122 and adding 159 for the second wicket with Vengsarkar, who also reached three figures before stumps on the first day.

Will Dilip Vengsarkar be able to
carry his form into the Test arena?

Maurice Foster's off breaks were given an unusually extended run as Gerry Alexander struggled to exert any control in the field, and with contributions right down the card India's total had swelled to 523-9 when Pataudi declared at tea on day two. India's bowlers had plenty of runs to play with, but the Jamaican innings followed the same script as that of the tourists, with Rae's wonderfully fluent 92 paving the way for a dominant stand of 165 for the fourth wicket between Lawrence Rowe and Everton Mattis. Rowe was caught in the covers off Kapil Dev for 87 but the unheralded Mattis went on to raise a deserved hundred, and with rain twice halting play on day three Jamaica batted on into the fourth and final day before eventually closing on 448 at lunch.

Rae batted as well as anyone in compiling his 92

Ghavri did his chances of Test selection no harm at all by picking up four wickets, but India's fielding was below par, with three catches going to ground over the course of the innings, and this is something that will need to be improved upon ahead of the Tests. India chose to bat out the remainder of the day, Umrigar's undefeated 68 the highlight as they progressed to an inconsequential 180-4, and the tourists' batting looks in good shape ahead of the first Test.

Score Summary
IND 1st Inns 523-9 dec. (Vengsarkar 128, Gavaskar 122, Engineer 74, Manjrekar 40)
JAM XI 1st Inns 448 (Mattis 105, Rae 92, Rowe 87, Adams 48; Ghavri 4-73)
IND 2nd Inns 180-4 (Umrigar 68*)

MATCH DRAWN

1st & 2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Close of Play

Day 1 - Indians 1st innings 354-2 (Vengsarkar 128*, Manjrekar 24*; 90 ov)
Day 2 - Jamaica 1st innings 93-1 (Rae 55*, Perry 0*; 25 ov)
Day 3 - Jamaica 1st innings 387-5 (Adams 34*, Foster 8*; 107 ov)
Day 4 - Indians 2nd innings 180-4 (51 ov) - end of match