BASSETERRE, St Kitts, June 26 - West Indies
captain Brian Lara had no regrets about not enforcing the
follow-on after the drawn third test against India on Monday.
West Indies had built a first-innings lead of 219 at tea on
the fourth day, but they batted a second time before setting
India a target of 392 off 88 overs on the final day.
India had reached 298 for four when the match was called
off.
"I've not regretted the decision, if it was a 300-run lead
I would have batted again, if it happens in Jamaica (where the
fourth test starts on Friday) I will bat again," Lara told
reporters.
"My team depends on fast bowlers, they run from 25 yards
and they need that sort of rest if they have to work really
hard in the first innings."
Lara's surprising decision was influenced by the
unavailability of left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins on the
fourth evening because of a bout of cramp that forced him to
leave the field towards the end of India's first innings.
"If I had an Anil Kumble or a Harbjahan Singh, who were
running up from three or four steps, it would have been easy to
ask them to come back out and bowl an opponent out again," Lara
said.
"It's a choice you have to make and I'm quite happy putting
myself back into bat in this match and setting a total just
beyond them."
India had a reasonable chance of winning when they reached
tea needing 192 runs from the 33 overs that were to be bowled
in the final session.
"It was always going to be difficult to win," Indian
captain Rahul Dravid told reporters.
"History tells you it has probably never been done - to
score 390 runs on the last day."
"We looked like having at go at it in the afternoon, but
the wicket was a bit slow and low and the ball was quite old
and slow.
"We had a go for a while, but we always knew it was going
to be a bit of a challenge."
The result left the series deadlocked at 0-0 going into the
final test.