At lunch India were a less than convincing 57/2. Dravid was able to add just 4 runs to his lunch score and 20 to the Indian total before he departed in the second session.

Adam Sanford, bowling pretty much all over the place was the man responsible for Dravid’s wicket. Amidst the half-volleys outside the off stump and the leg-side half-trackers Sanford produced one perfectly pitched delivery. Just short of a good length and on the stumps, with the ball coming in a touch and keeping low, Dravid (30) could not bring the bat down before the ball crashed into the pads. Plumb in front and India were 77/3.

Things could have gone either way at that stage. Ganguly was new to the wicket and Tendulkar was not yet at the top of his game.

They did, however go only one way – India’s. Getting into a rhythm we have seen little of this series, Tendulkar unleashed an array of powerful strokes that caused bowlers’ shoulders to droop. Precision square cuts piercing the gaps perfectly, vicious pulls scorching the turf and of course the tidy straight drives that give fielders no chance were all on display.

The result was a confident Tendulkar reaching 82, in the course of which he became just the second Indian (after Sunil Gavaskar) to reach 8000 Test runs. He is the tenth batsman in the history of the game to do so.

In the meantime Ganguly was content rotating the strike and reaching 23 in sedate fashion.

Wasim Jaffer was the first to go, thanks to a piece of superb fielding by Wavell Hinds. After settling down reasonably well to take India to 19 for no loss, Jaffer flicked hard at Pedro Collins. The ball was pitched on middle and leg stump and cramped the batsman for room. Nevertheless, Jaffer made good contact, sending the ball straight at forward short leg. Hinds, who has excelled in that position showed superb reflexes, hanging on to the sharp chance.

Collins had struck in his very first over, pegging India back to 19/1.

In his very next over, Colins struck again. Playing across the line to a full delivery, Das was struck on the pad. A loud shout for lbw resulted and umpire Tiffin raised the dreaded finger. Television replays however, suggested that the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Das (10) will consider himself unlucky.

The came a period of play that raised Indian spirits. Rahul Dravid, coming out to the middle with little on the board began positively. Taking Collins for three boundaries one over, Dravid (26 not out) began to defy the West Indian bowlers.

Sachin Tendulkar, keen to do well in a big run chase began tentatively, working his way to 7 when lunch was taken.

The series hung in the balance before the start of the fifth Test. By the morning of the fourth day however, things swung the way of the West Indies. One of the key members who made that happen was Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Top scoring with 59, the consistent Guyana left-hander took his series tally to 562 runs at an average of over 140.

When he patted a slower ball from Zaheer Khan back to be caught and bowled, he was disappointed. But really, there was no need for that. He had done his bit.

Pedro Collins, who batted so doggedly alongside Chanderpaul on the third day, swatted the ball around with gay abandon for 24 before he was finally bowled by Harbhajan Singh. The offie also scalped the wicket of Adam Sanford a few overs earlier. With 3/42 in the second innings Harbhajan Singh took his match tally to 8 wickets.