Battered and bounced, India cave in to fiery Windies pace

After rum, it is liquid pace that sells across the Caribbean. And in the season of sparse tourism, and discontent and plunging performances in their cricketing ranks, there can be nothing better to lift the spirits.

On an overcast morning, India found themselves at the receiving end as the monster of a traditionally bouncy Kensington Oval pitch reared its head. The much-maligned West Indies did not use the short ball to rattle India; they used the pitched-up deliveries to push them into defensive mode before pulling out their traditional weapon.

Rampaul, the wrecker in chief
Ravi Rampaul, with the tag of the first fast bowler of Indian origin to play for West Indies, once again made life miserable as the younger batting replacements crumbled.

Rampaul's triple strikes left India reeling at 44 for four after Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bowl on a pitch full of juice. VVS Laxman and Suresh Raina were together at lunch.

Rampaul landed the first blow with his third delivery, forcing young opener Abhinav Mukund to awkwardly glove a rising ball and give a looping catch in the gully area.

But Sammy provided the biggest setback for India. His lack of genuine pace had caught Rahul Dravid guessing a couple of times and the batsman was drawn into playing one outside off-stump that did just that bit to take the edge with Carlton Baugh taking a diving catch.

VVS, Raina hold fort for India
VVS Laxman, who missed out in the first Test, looked solid as the ball came on to the bat. He and Murali Vijay dug in for 15 overs but Rampaul came on for his second spell and struck twice in three deliveries. He exposed Vijay's inadequate technique for the third time in the series, as a short delivery fired towards the rib cage was edged down the legside to be caught behind.

He then prolonged Kohli's horror start to his Test career by removing him for a second ball duck.

Kohli was unnerved by the pace and lift of Edwards in Kingston and this time was caught in the crease to glove one that kicked from just short of length to Sammy at second slip.

Munaf left out, Samuels in for WI
India left out Munaf Patel after he failed to recover from an elbow injury, and included Abhimanyu Mithun as the third seamer. West Indies recalled middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels in place of axed vice-captain Brendan Nash. If India need to put up a decent score, everything will depend on how their lower order bats.