Back in the high life

On the day that he turned 57, Greg Chappell's charges finally presented him with the first adequate performance of his tenure. Though very few are likely to attach much importance or significance to this match, given the unforgettable events half a world away at Edgbaston, Chappell will no doubt cherish an afternoon when two prodigal sons and a missing-in-action legend returned to telling effect as West Indies were edged out in what was a semi-final in all but name.

The satisfaction at making the final shouldn't obscure from India's inability to close out an innings, with Runako Morton and the brilliant Denesh Ramdin combining to give Rahul Dravid uncomfortable memories of the Mahela Jayawardene-inspired heist at Dambulla a few days earlier. West Indies may be heading home after a tour characterised by demoralising defeat, but in Ramdin and a few other youngsters, they have a promising core to supplement the stars who will return once the contract fracas is sorted.

Mercurial talent was one of the buzzwords when Chappell took charge, and one of the questions asked was whether he could get the best out of individuals like Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who had stalled in the middle lane instead of taking the high road like Andrew Flintoff has done in recent seasons. Both are still best remembered for their heroics in the NatWest Series final against England back in 2002, testament both to the brilliant innings they played that day and to how little they have achieved since.

This afternoon, with Sylvester Joseph masterminding an unexpected West Indian revival, and India's top order continuing to show all the dependability of a Jordan F-1 car, the stage couldn't have been better set for a reprise of that long-ago Lord's afternoon. India were 51 for 3, and effectively an extra wicket down given the sickening blow that had sent Sourav Ganguly to hospital for precautionary x-rays. Virender Sehwag's wretched run had shown no sign of abating, VVS Laxman had pushed himself a step closer to a permanent vacation from one-day cricket and the redoubtable Dravid had been undone by surprising turn from Omari Banks.

As they had done three years ago, Yuvraj and Kaif paced the innings beautifully. Their roles were also clearly defined, with Yuvraj belting the occasional powerful four, and Kaif content to push and nudge until the run-rate had assumed respectable proportions. The acceleration, when it came, was too much for West Indies to handle. Having taken 75 balls to raise the first 50 of their partnership, they then rattled off the second at a run a ball. Thereafter, it was just carnage, with Yuvraj hitting some scorching boundaries until fatigue cramped his style, and Kaif picking off the gaps effortlessly.

For Chappell, who had talked of the talent at his disposal when he took over, it was a welcome reminder of what this Indian team is capable of, and a committed but overmatched West Indian team had no answers as 89 came in the final 10 overs. The decision to save Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the denouement was also justified with a thrill-a-minute 28 that featured the most audacious pick-up-and-scoop against the pace of Tino Best.

With an imposing total to defend, the bowlers had the luxury of being able to experiment a little. After Irfan Pathan had made the initial incisions, it was left to Anil Kumble to illustrate the folly of leaving him out in such conditions. Given the opportunity that he had been denied thus far in the tournament, Kumble bowled with the guile and variety that have been the leitmotif of his resurgence as a Test bowler. Both big hitters, Dwayne Smith and Ricardo Powell were outfoxed by subtle variations, and by the time Kumble's spell was over, the match was all but won.

What followed was an alarming replay of what happened in Dambulla, with the bowlers unable to stop a spirited surge from Morton and Ramdin. Only tiredness stemmed the Ramdin tide at the end, and India won't need reminding that such sloppiness will be ruthlessly punished by a Sri Lankan outfit that are close to invincible in the Lion's Den that is the Premadasa.