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Wasim Jaffer and Deep Dasgupta finally came good with the bat to earn the Indians a comfortable draw after being forced to follow-on in the three day tour match against the Busta XI here.
Both Jaffer and Dasgupta struck fine half-centuries as the Indians finished the third and final day yesterday at a respectable 158 for two after being skittled out for 150 in their first innings.
Jaffer and Dasgupta, both claimants for the second opener's slot to partner Shiv Sunder Das, made up for their failures of the first innings and added 101 for the second wicket to ensure their team did not suffer a collapse for the second time in the match.
Jaffer was out in the final session of play for a well-made 62 while Dasgupta remained unbeaten on 54. Ajay Ratra was the other not out batsman on 29. The Indians, who had fallen 287 runs short of Busta XI's 437 in the first innings, got an early scare when Das was out for nought off the fourth ball of the innings. But Jaffer and Dasgupta applied themselves well and batted comfortably.
Jaffer, a specialist opening batsman who was expected to bring an end to experimentations at the top of the order, staked his claim with a patient 156-ball knock that contained seven hits to the fence. He was finally dismissed by Gareth Breese when the batsman holed out to Darren
Ganga.
Dasgupta, who has had more success as an opener than as a wicketkeeper, also seemed to have struck form ahead of the third Test. He faced 188-balls and hit five fours. But some sheen was taken away from their innings by the decision of Busta XI not to use their two frontline bowlers, Pedro Collins and Dinanath Ramnarine, after both were included in the squad of West Indies for the third Test starting in Barbados on May 2.
Collins bowled just four overs while Ramnarine, who claimed four for 49 in the first innings, sent down 10. Earlier, the Indians resumed at their overnight first innings score of 73 for seven and added 77 runs before being all out one and half hour into the first session.
Dinesh Mongia, who was left out of the first two Tests, was the only Indian batsman to offer some resistance, top- scoring with 67. Mongia, unbeaten on 25 on the second day, put on 50 runs for the eighth wicket with Sarandeep Singh, who made 32 with five fours, to take the score to 122. But their efforts were highly inadequate for preventing Busta XI from enforcing the follow-on.
Harbhajan Singh and Tinu Yohannan, who remained unbeaten, did not score but stayed just long enough to enable Mongia complete his half-century. Mongia, who hit eight fours and one six, was the last man out, falling to Gareth Breese.
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