Pride comes after Chanderpaul fall
Shivnarine Chanderpaul celebrates his 18th Test century © Getty Images
Shivnarine Chanderpaul recovered from a sickening blow to the head and recorded a remarkable century to spark a West Indian comeback on day three of the first Test at Sabina Park, Kingston.
The Guyanese left-hander recorded his 18th Test hundred and guided West Indies to 318, before Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell ripped through the Australian top order late in the evening, leaving the visitors 17 for four.
Chanderpaul wore the ball on the bottom of the helmet as he turned his back on a bouncer from Brett Lee and, after collapsing immediately to the ground, appeared to be briefly unconscious.
He got to his feet, though, and struck the 14 runs he needed to reach his hundred, becoming the sixth highest West Indian century-maker in Test matches, level with Desmond Haynes.
When Australia resumed 119 ahead, Phil Jaques (four) edged Edwards through to Dinesh Ramdin in the second over.
The prize wicket of Ricky Ponting (five) followed in the next over, as Dwayne Bravo held a good low catch off Powell.
Simon Katich (one) was third to go, trapped plumb in front by a full Edwards delivery.
And the wickets kept coming, Mike Hussey (one) playing all around a full one from Powell which disturbed the left-hander’s stumps.
Australia ended an astonishing session of cricket 136 runs ahead with six second-innings wickets remaining in the opening clash of the Frank Worrell Trophy in Jamaica.
Earlier, the Windies resumed on 115 for three, and a sedate morning session came to life when Stuart MacGill was introduced after drinks.
Runako Morton struck two fours off the spinner’s second over of the spell, the second a trademark straight drive to bring up his half-century and the hundred partnership with Chanderpaul, before dispatching the leg-spinner for six over mid-on.
Chanderpaul brought up his fifty in more understated fashion with a leg-side single in the following over.
Morton, though, attempted one shot too many off MacGill and fell to a good leaping catch from Stuart Clark at mid-on, leaving his side 197 for four at the interval.
Darren Sammy congratulates Daren Powell after he bowled Michael Hussey to leave Australia 12 for four
Bravo joined Chanderpaul at the crease and brought about an increase in the run rate after lunch.
Bravo, who spent most of this month representing the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, showed signs of still being in Twenty20 mode as he smashed MacGill for a six and a four in the third over after the interval - and he repeated the trick off the leg-spinner’s next over.
When the fifty partnership came up, Bravo had contributed 36 and Australia took the new ball soon after.
But it was Bravo’s attacking instincts which were to prove his undoing as, with the score on 260, he attempted a drive off a wide Lee delivery and edged a comfortable catch through to first slip Katich.
Bravo was four short of a half-century and his wicket was the first of three in 19 balls for the addition of only three runs.
Ramdin immediately looked uncomfortable before feathering Lee through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for nought and Darren Sammy was equally ineffective in six fewer balls, flicking a simple catch to Jaques off Mitchell Johnson.
An inswinging yorker from Lee was too good for Powell (three) as the Windies’ collapsed to 268 for eight at tea.
In the third over after the interval, though, Chanderpaul crumpled to the ground after being struck and the whole of Sabina Park feared the worst.
Remarkably, though, the batsman continued and did so in style.
He resumed slowly, before a boundary off Lee took him to 95 and he eventually reached his hundred with a drive for two off Clark, receiving a well-earned standing ovation in the process.
Edwards (one) was out soon after, edging a Johnson short ball to Haddin, prompting Chanderpaul to throw caution to the wind with last man Amit Jaggernauth at the other end.
He smashed MacGill for six but, the very next ball, top-edged a looping full toss straight to Hussey.
