BBC SPORT | Cricket | Harbhajan in seven heaven

India's Harbhajan Singh was delighted after picking up the 10th five-wicket haul of his Test career in an innings defeat of West Indies.

Forced to follow-on 300 runs behind India's 457, the tourists were bowled out for 188 for their first ever innings defeat to this opponent.

The catching was downright poor

Carl Hooper

Bowling in tandem with Anil Kumble, Harbhajan took seven for 48 as the tourists, 105 for one at one point, collapsed in spectacular fashion.

Fourth day report

"I know it's my 10th and it's great to get to that mark but I hope to get a lot more," he said.

"The ball was turning, but I think what was more important was that we were both bowling very well."

The off-spinner said that the fourth wicket to fall, that of Carl Hooper for one, was key to the collapse.

"Hooper plays spinners very well and if he had hung around it could have taken longer," Harbhajan said. "Once we got him out, I knew it was going to finish fast."

Hooper blamed poor batting and fielding by the tourists for the result.

Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan took his second seven-wicket haul in Bombay
"The batting just didn't click. When you score as low as we did, you can't expect to win Test matches," he said.

"You can't place the blame at the door of one or two players," Hooper said. "It's about all 11 playing together, which just didn't happen here."

India had far less trouble in amassing 457 after winning the toss.

Photo gallery: First Test in pictures

Man-of-the-match Virender Sehwag was dropped before he had scored, and again on 70, before going on to make 147.

"The way we performed in the field there was just no question of converting half-chances," Hooper added.

"The ground fielding was okay in patches but the catching was downright poor."

First innings

His counterpart Sourav Ganguly singled out left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan for particular praise after a career-best four for 41 in the West Indies first innings 157.

"I think Zaheer's spell yesterday was crucial," he said. "He put us in a winning position."

After recording his 12th victory as captain, Ganguly said he was now looking to wrapping up the series in the second of Tests at Madras, beginning on 17 October.

But Hooper took heart from the series in the Caribbean, when West Indies returned from losing the second Test to triumph 2-1.

"We had been one Test down then, and it could be history repeating itself.

"It's going to be very, very tough in these conditions but we're still hopeful about the next Test."


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