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 Rahul Dravid accomplished a rare feat of scoring four hundreds in successive innings as India finished Day 2 of the first cricket Test against the West Indies with a firm grip on the match. Dravid scored exactly 100 before retiring due to cramps and India lost their last five wickets for 56 runs to be all out in their first innings for 457.
In the 14 overs bowled in the West Indian innings, the visitors were reduced to 33 for two with Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh picking up one wicket each. Dravid became just the third batsman in the world to score four centuries in successive innings, the others being Jack Fingleton of Australia and Alan Melville of South Africa. Sir Everton Weekes of West Indies holds the world record of five hundreds on the trot.
Dravid, who had scores of 115, 148 and 217 in the last three Tests in England, faced 242 balls during his 350-minute knock which included 12 hits to the fence. While taking a second run that brought up his 14th Test hundred, Dravid, who was already suffering from dehydration, developed cramps and was forced to retire.
But he had already placed India in a strong position with a 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket with V V S Laxman which brought the team back on track after the loss of two quick wickets in the morning had pegged the hosts back a bit.
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