It is not often than a team finds itself down in the dumps when one of their batsmen makes a score of 176. But that's often the case with the West Indians. Brian Lara has time and again made huge scores, only for his team to squander the advantage. The first day of the Barbados Test was no different. After being in deep trouble at 12-3, the champion batsman first rebuilt the innings with skipper Chanderpaul and then launched a massive counter-attack on the South African bowlers in the company of Dwayne Bravo. Yet at the end of the second day's play, the West Indians found themselves battling to save the Test. South Africa had amassed 253 runs for the loss of just their skipper Graeme Smith. And if Lara fails in the second knock, it will require a miracle for the Caribbeans to save the game. Such has been the pathetic batting form of the Windies since the second Test.
 

The horrors for the hosts began right at the start of the Test. Chris Gayle, who is having a rather forgettable series with the willow, fell without scoring, tentatively fishing outside off-stump to the ever-improving Andre Nel. Wavell Hinds, who started the series with a magnificent double century, got a beauty of a delivery from Makhaya Ntini, the hero of the previous Test. Then came the shocker. Ramnaresh Sarwan played an ordinary shot, cutting a delivery outside off-stump uppishly and paying the price. The West Indies were 12-3.
 

The West Indies needed another classic from Lara if they were to get out of this rut. And boy, did he play one! The experienced duo of Lara and Chanderpaul took the home side through to lunch without any further damage. After the resumption, Lara unleashed his repertoire of strokes in an encore of his knock at Port-of-Spain. But like in that Test, here too he got very little support from the other batsmen. Chanderpaul played in his usual gritty manner. But soon after reaching yet another half-century, he was pouched by the impressive Monde Zondeki. Chanderpaul flirted outside off-stump, only for Boucher to take the simplest of catches. It was yet another captain's effort by the little West Indian. But considering the state of the game and batsmen to follow, it did not last long enough, nor did Ryan Hinds' stay at the crease, which was cut short by a good Kallis delivery for 10.

Dwayne Bravo had a good knock in the second Test, which would had definitely given him some confidence going into bat. And he did show the guts to fight it out in the middle. While Lara was going all hammer and tongs at the other hand, Bravo showed he too could contribute well with the bat. At 286-5, with both Lara and Bravo looking well set for more, it looked the Caribbeans were in total command. But then came the big turning point.

Brian Lara, who had successfully managed to play almost every shot in the book with his flashy brilliance, fell in going for another of those extravagant shots and chopped the ball back onto his stumps. The critics might argue with his choice of shot, considering that it was the last recognized pair at the crease. But the fact remains that he had gathered his 176 runs with similar strokes and not with nudges and pushes- a lesson for our very own Sachin Tendulkar who has put his attacking game on the back-burner despite being much younger than Lara.
 

Once the champion batsman fell, it was only a matter of time before the tail capitulated as it always does. But Bravo, who had played very well for his 26, played a disappointing shot to fall to Zondeki just before the close of play on day. Zondeki came out all guns firing the next day to finish off the innings and trigger another lower-order batting collapse. The Windies lost their last five wickets for the addition of a mere ten runs. They will definitely have to look at this aspect of the game seriously as tail-enders from other countries are capable (and in fact expected) of scoring half-centuries these days. If they don't improve, West Indies cricket will suffer even more.

After rolling over the last few West Indians for nothing, the South Africans now had every chance to dictate proceedings. And they did exactly what was required. The openers De Villiers and Smith who have given South Africa several good starts since they joined forces, got their act right once again. The Proteas, looking for a replacement to highly successful opening pair of the retired Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs- who bats in the middle-order these days - certainly seemed to have found one. Smith has impressed one and all ever since his arrival on the scene, so much so that he has been thrust with the captaincy at such a raw age.
 

The skipper started slowly, but looked invincible once he got into his groove. His strokes on the on-side and the straight drive fetched him plenty of runs. But he was also willing to give the spinners the charge occasionally. The brave-hearted skipper batted on with a runner in the latter part of his innings due to a leg injury he has been carrying for some time now. But he did not let his concentration go astray and went on complete his tenth Test ton and second in succession. He fell soon after, trying to loft part-timer Chris Gayle, but by the time he left he had dented the confidence of the opposition in a big way.
 

De Villiers too went on to register his century, the second of his short but promising career. The talented newcomer had got a few starts in the first two Tests, but failed to convert any of them into big ones. So his extreme delight at reaching the milestone was understandable. But the Windies only made matters easy for the 21-year-old. De Villiers, who loves to cut square on the off side, was given several opportunities by the bowlers to play his favourite shot, highlighting the lack of discipline in the West Indian attack.
 

The only positive for the hosts in this game so far has to be the reduction in the number of no-balls. Apart from that, it has been all South Africa. And unless some of the bowlers produce outstanding spells and Lara comes up with yet another magical knock, it might very well remain the same way for the rest of the Test.