Corey Colleymore (right) leaves the field after teaming up with with fellow tailender Fidel Edwards to guide the West Indies to a draw against India on Tuesday's final day of the opening Test. Colleymore and Edwards both ended on one not out. - DELLMAR
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC
AN INJURED FIDEL Edwards has revealed that his heroic last wicket partnership with fellow fast bowler Corey Collymore that helped West Indies save the first Test against India on Tuesday, was due to a combination of self-confidence, advice from his runner Daren Ganga and chanting by a tense crowd.
Number 10 Edwards made only one not out but the fact that he defied 36 deliveries while batting with a right hamstring injury, which he suffered after bowling only 5.4 overs in the second innings on the third day, made him a hero as West Indies grimly held on to finish on 298 for nine after they were set 392 for victory.
He and Collymore, both very close friends hailing from neighbouring villages in the northern Barbados parish of St. Peter, occupied the crease for 19 balls.
Collymore, who faced the full final over from pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, also scored one not out from eight balls.
Asked to describe the tension of the final over when he, Collymore and Ganga frequently chatted, Edwards said Ganga stressed that protection of the stumps was vital.
ATTACK ON STUMPS
"Just play the ball on the stumps. In order to get you out, they have to attack the stumps. Just duck from the short balls and play the balls on the stumps and keep focused," was Ganga's advice, Edwards told CMC's CricketPlus shortly after the end of the match.
"The crowd really kept me going. Hearing everybody chanting, chanting, chanting, kept me going and I really thank the crowd for everything," he added.
Neither Edwards nor Collymore boasts of batting statistics to shout about.
The 24-year-old Edwards, coincidentally in his 24th Test, has an aggregate of 119 runs with a highest score of 20 and an average of 4.25, while Collymore, 29, has fared better with 147 runs (average 8.64) and a highest of 16 not out in 20 Tests.
Edwards recalled that Tuesday's epic finish was similar to a situation he also faced against Zimbabwe in November 2003 when he and Ridley Jacobs held on for the last 11.5 overs to earn West Indies a draw at Harare, as they finished on 207 for nine after being set 373 to win.
On that occasion, Edwards also made only one not out, from 33 balls, with Jacobs scoring an unbeaten 60.
Edwards said on Tuesday he kept a positive mind despite his injury as he battled a combination of pace and spin.
"I just decided to be positive and play the ball on its merit, play straight and just defend my stumps and keep playing straight until the overs go out."
In relation to batting with the injury, he commented: "I am playing for my country and I did it already in the past (against Zimbabwe), so I believed that I could do it again. I just went out there with full faith and did my job.
"I consider myself a pretty alright batsman against the spin and the pace wasn't really bothering me as much."
Asked if he would request a promotion from captain Brian Lara sometime in the future, Edwards said: "I think that No. 10 is for me or nightwatchman. I am okay with that."
But he conceded there was some sadness that he will miss the second Test in St Lucia starting on Saturday - ironically his older brother Pedro Collins has replaced him - and could be out for the rest of the four-Test series as well.
"I am pretty sad right now but I think this is something a fast bowler has to live with. You will get injuries, go back home, play hard and then get back fit and focus," Edwards said.
Edwards bowled impressively in the first innings but was a victim of a couple dropped catches as he ended with two for 53 off 18.5 overs. He said he was impressed with the way the pitch at the Antigua Recreation Ground played in the early stages.
"It had some bounce on the first day. It was pretty (much) better than the last couple of times I played here so I was okay with the surface."
Ganga had been the first batsman dismissed for 36 after an opening partnership of 67 with top-scorer Chris Gayle (69) before West Indies soon limped to 72 for three by lunch.
When Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul batted the entire session between lunch and tea, a tame draw seemed on the cards but after their stand of 99 was ended, there was another collapse which resulted in West Indies under severe pressure at 226 for seven.
Ian Bradshaw and fellow left-hander Dave Mohammed then revived the situation by putting on 51 in 10.1 overs before Bradshaw was controversially given out, caught at the wicket off pacer Mufan Patel for 10.
And when Mohammed was bowled by leg-spinner Anil Kumble for a boundary-studded 52 off 55 balls - his first Test half-century - with the score 297, not many fans would have given West Indies any hope of salvaging a draw.
But Edwards and Collymore proved them wrong.
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