Chanderpaul brilliance in vain

First one-day international, Nagpur: India 338-3 bt West Indies 324
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A pulsating 149 from Shiv Chanderpaul was not enough to save West Indies from a 14-run defeat against India in the first of the four-match one-day series.

Sourav Ganguly hit 98 before Mahendra Dhoni and Rahul Dravid smashed a stand of 119 from 71 balls in India's 338-3.

Chris Gayle and Chanderpaul fired 80 in just over 12 overs in reply but the Windies began to fall behind the rate.

Brian Lara got them on track with two sixes in 31 and Chanderpaul hit five fours in six balls but was just denied.

Ganguly, making his first appearance in coloured clothing for 16 months, put on 144 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir.

On a lifeless track at Napgur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, he lofted seamer Daren Powell for six over long-off to reach his half-century.

Another Ganguly six, off Gayle, disappeared way over long-off and the landed outside the stadium, but he was denied a 23rd one-day century when he was run out by Dwayne Smith.

When Lara came to the crease in the 34th over of the West Indies innings, a formidable 164 were still needed with seven wickets remaining.

The skipper launched Sachin Tendulkar for a magnificent straight six, and added another off Harbhajan Singh which landed on the roof, followed by a feasrome cut which raced for four.

Having reduced the asking rate to 98 from 58 balls, he advanced down the wicket to Tendulkar again, but the Indian maestro saw him coming, fired the ball well wide of off-stump as Lara backed away a fraction and Dhoni executed a neat stumping.

Chanderpaul hit consecutive fours off Ajit Agarkar and then fired three successive boundaries when Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was brought back to bowl the 48th over.

He came within inches of hooking a fourth but Harbhajan Singh limited the scoring to a single and from the next delivery, Dinesh Ramdin top-edged to square-leg to become the seventh wicket to fall.

With 12 balls left 33 were needed, but Chanderpaul retained hope when he swung his third six of a remarkable innings.

Sreesanth bowled the final over with 20 needed and Ian Bradshaw was run out frm the opening delivery as Chanderpaul's drive went straight back to the bowler with Bradshaw stranded.