Indian batsmen gained some valuable match practice ahead of the first Test as four of them hit half centuries on the second and final day of the tour match against Antigua and Barbuda XI Wednesday.
Wasim Jaffer (52), VVS Laxman (71), Mohammad Kaif (53) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (60) had useful stints in the middle as the visitors made 311 for nine when match was called off five overs before the scheduled close.
Importantly for India, Jaffer and Laxman, playing their first game on the tour, batted long and profitably to put themselves in shape for the first Test, starting in Antigua on Friday.
Laxman batted for 204 balls and 226 minutes and hit nine fours.
Kaif chose to retire himself on 53, after facing 127 balls and batting for 119 minutes, hitting five fours and two sixes.
Dhoni, after the tea break, himself batted for over 100 minutes in compiling 60 from 78 balls with eight fours and a six.
Even the tailenders batted stoically and chose to spend time in the middle, conveying how important team feels the need for its batsmen to get used to the conditions.
Laxman gave a good account of himself. He reached 42 from 73 balls with five fours at lunch break.
India resumed at 33 for one and lost two wickets in the opening session, one by way of a run out.
Jaffer's 52 came from 87 balls with eight fours before he failed to beat the throw from square leg.
Rahul Dravid was the next to go when he cut and edged to the wicket keeper for five runs.
Brief scores: Antigua and Barbuda XI 300 all out in 72.2 overs drew with India 311 for 9 in 96 overs (W Jaffer 52, V V S Laxman 71, M Kaif 53, M S Dhoni 60 no).
