Bourda, Guyana – Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Nixon McLean are two
left-handers of utterly different physiques, methods and batting
ability
08-May-2000Bourda, Guyana – Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Nixon McLean are two
left-handers of utterly different physiques, methods and batting
ability.They shared one common purpose on the third day of the first Test
yesterday – and a record seventh-wicket partnership that halted
Pakistan?s match-winning advance.Their dogged, contrasting and timely defiance resisted bowling as
varied and potent as any in the contemporary game for over two hours
and yielded 74 runs, more than any West Indian seventh wicket in Tests
against Pakistan.It may not have prevented the prospect of a daunting last day on a
worn pitch for the West Indies but, allied to the return of Guyana’s
more familiar weather that limited play to 44 overs between a late
start and an early finish, it has appreciably diminished the degree of
difficulty.When fading light ended the tense contest with as many as 26 overs
still scheduled, the West Indies were 222 for seven, behind by 66 with
two days remaining, each to be extended by an hour to compensate for
lost time.Significantly, Chanderpaul was unbeaten with 46 when the light faded
sufficiently behind a heavy cloud cover for play to be called off at
4:45 p.m.His presence was essential once he became the last of the main batsmen
after his captain Jimmy Adams edged the day’s fifth ball, from Mushtaq
Ahmed, low to first slip and two more wickets fell quickly and
cheaply.Half-hour later, Chris Gayle heaved a spiralling catch to mid-on, also
off the mesmerising Mushtaq off whom he had stroked a couple of
perfect off-drives.When Ridley Jacobs sought a single on Chanderpaul’s cut to third man
off Mushtaq, found no response from his partner and was hopelessly run
out at the bowler’s end, the West Indies were 139 for six, 149 in
arrears and in familiar collapse mode.Fifty minutes into play that was delayed until 20 minutes after lunch
by heavy overnight and morning rain, McLean, the tall, massive fast
bowler with the build of Lennox Lewis, joined Chanderpaul, his
diminutive, lightweight colleague not much bigger than Patrick
Husbands.On the ground where he made his Test debut as a 19-year-old six years
ago and where he plays his club cricket, Chanderpaul batted throughout
with the steady concentration and level-headed assurance that has
earned him a Test average of 40.Bothered by physical, and no doubt mental, fatigue, Chanderpaul had
taken a month off during the One-Day Internationals. This was an
important return and he looked his old self.He carefully converted the nine he had at the start to 46, offering no
chance and only occasional encouragement to Pakistani bowling that has
tried everything in the four hours, ten minutes he has spent at the
crease.He was the only one who countered Mushtaq’s dangerous flight and
each-way turn with complete conviction. If only modern West Indian
batsmen could emulate his nimble footwork they would not find spin
bowling so much of a mystery.McLean’s reputation as a batsman, such as it is, is based on
free-swinging power hitting.Reflecting the new spirit that has typified the West Indies effort all
season, he subdued his natural instincts in compiling his highest Test
score, 46, keeping Chanderpaul company for ten minutes over two hours
and actually outscoring him by two to one.Understandably, he did not handle everything with Chanderpaul’s
aplomb.He found the late swing of Wasim Akram, Abdur Razzaq and Waqar Younis,
who shared duties at the northern end, as bothersome as Mushtaq?s
googly.But he bided his time through 23 scoreless balls at one stage and only
ventured one tail-ender’s swipe.Even so, he thumped nine fours – to Chanderpaul’s three. There were
three off successive balls from Mushtaq, clean and hard through
mid-off, fitting of any left-hander – yes, even you know who.It required the second new ball to dislodge him as he snicked Waqar
Younis? first delivery – the first pace for the day from the Regent
Street end – to first slip.Twenty minutes later, the clouds gathered, the light faded, play was
abandoned and the West Indies gained more valuable time.
