The West Indies on Monday gave a tough time to Indian batsmen but the visitors succeeded in extending their lead to 229 runs at the end of the first session on day three of the second Test here.
The West Indies bowlers struck at stroke of lunch to leave India at 425/6. Caribbean bowlers gave a hard time to Ajinkya Rahane (74*) and Wriddhiman Saha (47) before home team captain Jason Holder trapped the wicket-keeper batsman in front of the stumps on the cusp of lunch to end the 98-run stand.
India ended up losing a wicket in the morning session, collecting 67 runs in 26.4 overs.
Starting the day from overnight 358/5, Rahane and Saha looked to get settled in and push the lead as further as possible, while keeping in the possibility of rain later in the match as a tropical storm builds up in the Caribbean Sea.
The day started bright and sunny though, and Rahane quickly got to his Test fifty off 93 balls.
Shanon Gabriel (1-62) and Miguel Cummins (0-74) bowled well in the first hour of play, as the West Indies continued their ploy of bowling tight and not giving away easy runs to the batsmen. Only 34 runs came in the first hour of the morning, and thereafter Devendra Bishoo (1-95) and Holder came on to bowl. That is when Rahane’s troubles started as the skipper mixed his incoming and out-swinging deliveries well, and troubled the set batsman.
Rahane was beaten a couple times, and there were other interesting LBW shouts against him, but he stayed put at the crease. He was frustrated though, and the good spell induced an edge in the 147th over off Bishoo, but Rajendra Chandrika dropped him at backward point. He was on 65* at that time, and yet managed to survive this period of play and went into the break unbeaten, trying to break the shackles with two boundaries in the 148th over.
The 400-mark had come up for India in the 141st over, as well as the lead crossed the 200-mark. However, the effects could be seen at the other end too, as the run scoring was tightened up further and Saha was in some trouble too. Holder then finally got some reward for bowling tight when he trapped the keeper-batsman LBW just before lunch, his first wicket in this series.
On day one, R Ashwin picked up 5-52, his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests as the West Indies were bundled out for 196 runs in the first innings. On day two, Lokesh Rahul scored 158 runs, his 3rd Test hundred, as India took control of the match. The visitors had won the first Test in Antigua by an innings and 92 runs.
(With PTI inputs)
