Hooper strokes a vital century When Javagal Srinath took out the first two wickets, nobody was surprised; India, after all, started the match as favourites. Brian Lara’s dismissal was unfortunate, wrongly ruled caught behind by Daryl Harper, but even then, the West Indies at 44 for three was not unexpected. It was the batting after that, first by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Carl Hooper, and then by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, which pleasantly surprised those expecting a one-sided series. Sarwan made a dour 53, and Chanderpaul hit an unbeaten 57, but the star of the show was local lad Hooper. Coming off a fine run of form in the Busta Cup, Hooper played with his usual elegance, stroking 14 fours and a six in his 108. He was still there at the close of play, his side on 270 for four, and India were suddenly discovering that their opponents were no pushovers. It may have disappointed them, but the prospect of a more closely fought series will gladden the hearts of cricket fans.

A childhood dream fulfilled Carl Hooper has dreamed of hitting a Test century in his home town since he was a kid, and he was all smiles after achieving that on Thursday. "I've waited 15 years for this moment," Hooper said, "and it has finally come." "I've been desperate to make a century before my home crowd for so long that when the moment finally arrives, you can allow to let yourself go," said Hooper, who jumped up and punched the air on reaching the landmark by cutting leg-spinner Anil Kumble to the third man fence. "We were in a spot of bother at 44 for three, and it was important for someone to come through," he said. "It is very important to get partnerships going. The first one was especially a big one for the team. Shivnarine (Chanderpaul) and I have put together a little over a hundred now and we must try and make the partnership grow." But Hooper’s plans, as well as his form, sounded ominous. "We would like to say we'll get 500 runs. The Indians will fight back, and we have to be prepared for that. We'll have to battle it out in the first session tomorrow." "Anil Kumble could have bowled a little better than he did, and the other off-spinner, Sarandeep Singh, did not turn the ball much. Maybe that's why we got away," Hooper said. "The wicket at Bourda has always been good to bat on. It was like that today as well. Srinath really set them up with the three wickets. We have been in a situation like this so many times in the past and have just capitulated. But today we fought tooth and nail, dug in, and went all the way. Maybe it's just our time."

Najafgarh ka Sachin can only watch on TV One person watching the Test series from India with an earnest desire to be in the middle facing the quicks is Virender Sehwag. A short but sweet Test career has been briefly suspended by a shoulder injury, but the Sachin-clone from Najafgarh still hopes to play some part in the latter half of the series, the five one-day internationals. "Presently I am undergoing physiotherapy and muscle-strengthening exercises," he said. "If the pain subsides, I will go to nets for practice and later submit a fitness report to stake a claim for the one-day side." Sehwag hopes to hand in a fitness certificate to the BCCI in two weeks and then start packing his kit-bag with his favourite bats. Indian fans hope so too; after all, nothing is better than a Sachin-like assault from one end than a Sachin-like assault from both ends.

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