Rahul Dravid kept his date with great venues yet again this year. The allure of hundreds at Sabina Park and Lord's are still intact and Dravid added one more to that list with his 119 at the Eden Gardens here on Monday.
In a prolific year during which he currently tops the run-getters' list at 952, Dravid's 36th ton, his fifth in the last six months, helped India finish with 346 for five on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies.
It was a knock (207b, 9x4, 2x6) that had all the primary Dravid ingredients of assurance and stability and he spiced it up with a touch of flourish through two sixes during his 295-minute vigil.
This was his maiden instance of clouting two high into the skies during a single innings in a Test.
Off to a flier
Dravid walked in after India got off to a flier thanks to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who shared 66 runs off 73 deliveries.
Being the master at stitching alliances, Dravid combined with Gambhir in an 83-run second-wicket partnership and then he and V.V.S. Laxman (73 batting), his alter-ego at Eden Gardens, added 140 for the fourth wicket.
There was also the interlude of Sachin Tendulkar's 38, a knock that spelt ease despite two close calls on 25 and 36, but was undone by a pull off Devendra Bishoo.
Tendulkar essayed the shot, not factoring in the slow pace off the pitch and the ball did not bounce as much as he expected. The resultant catch was taken at mid-wicket.
Different response
A similar short, sluggish delivery a few minutes earlier elicited a different response from Dravid and it showed his form.
The wrists were flexed at the last sub-second and the bat-swing was sliced in an arc that slammed the ball into the turf.
In the beginning, Dravid found easy appetisers in the deliveries that homed in to his legs.
Darren Sammy tried to pin Dravid down with the angled-in delivery and strayed.
The West Indies skipper then kept four men under Dravid's gaze on the off-side but the veteran punctured the cordon.
Bishoo's tendency to drop it short was also capitalised upon with the rasping cut and Dravid was up and away.
Steady trot
In the afternoon session that witnessed the downfall of both Gambhir and Tendulkar, Dravid got his runs at a steady trot, though during a phase of 101 deliveries he did not clip anything past the ropes.
And when he exhaled with aggression, the result was a six over long-off off Bishoo. Later he pummelled Marlon Samuels over long-on.
At the other end, Laxman etched fours that seemed like gentle whispers to flummoxed fielders before the ball, bolstered by sheer timing, sped to the boundary.
It may not have been March 2001 and the rivals were not Australians but Laxman and Dravid ensured that India enjoyed its most dominating batting display this year.
Lone sour note
Later, Dravid fumed with his lone sour note when he chopped Kraigg Brathwaite onto the stumps and became the part-timer's maiden Test wicket. Ishant Sharma fell to the new-ball and once bad light forced the draw of stumps, Laxman offered hope.
In the morning, M.S. Dhoni opted to bat and found approval from Sehwag and Gambhir (65). Sammy, who spoke about playing Shane Shillingford, sprung a surprise and pencilled in Kemar Roach.
No impact
The change had no impact as Gambhir pierced twice past point once Roach came on as first-change, but it was Sehwag who inflicted maximum damage with his cameo.
Both Sehwag and Gambhir were dismissed against the run of play and Adrian Barath, who replaced Kieran Powell, snapped up two catches.
That and Tendulkar's dismissal were the only pleasures for Sammy's men.
Scoreboard
India: G. Gambhir c Barath b Edwards 65 ( 103b, 8x4 ), V. Sehwag c Barath b Sammy 38 ( 33b, 8x4 ), R. Dravid b Brathwaite 119 ( 207b, 9x4, 2x6 ), S. Tendulkar c Samuels b Bishoo 38 ( 71b, 5x4 ), V.V.S. Laxman (batting) 73 ( 116b, 5x4 ), Ishant c Baugh b Roach 0 ( 1b ); Extras (lb-5, w-2, nb-6): 13; Total (for five wkts., in 87.3 overs): 346.
Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Sehwag), 2-149 (Gambhir), 3-205 (Tendulkar), 4-345 (Dravid), 5-346 (Ishant).
West Indies bowling: Edwards 13-0-45-1, Sammy 14-0-78-1, Roach 15.3-1-57-1, Samuels 16-0-65-0, Bishoo 27-1-87-1, Brathwaite 2-0-9-1.
