KINGSTON, Jamaica: Lokesh Rahul completed a patient hundred as India closed in on the West Indies’ first innings total of 196, by reaching 185 for one at lunch on the second day of the second Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Sunday.
Making the most of his recall to the team due to a thumb injury sustained by Murali Vijay ahead of the match, Raul reached his third Test century with a six over long-on, but was generally watchful throughout the morning in getting to 107 in partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara (37 not out).
Trailing in the four-match series following an innings defeat in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier, the West Indies were far more disciplined with the ball over the first two hours of play than on the first evening.
Only 59 runs were added from the overnight position, extending the second-wicket partnership between Rahul and Pujara to 98, but none off the bowlers were able to make the much-needed breakthrough.
Of further concern to the home side would have been the sight of debutant fast-medium bowler Miguel Cummins leaving the field in some physical discomfort just before the interval.
At the other end, Pujara was even more watchful, adding only 19 runs to his overnight score without ever looking in any real difficulty on a pitch that still offered its challenges to the batsmen.
Cummins was able to extract awkward bounce to him on one occasion but in his trademark phlegmatic manner he continued watchfully through the period of play.
Late on Saturday, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tormented the West Indies yet again to claim a second consecutive five-wicket innings haul and dismiss the home side for 196 on the opening day of the second Test on Saturday.
Ashwin followed up his haul of seven for 83 in the final innings of the first Test a week earlier with 5 for 52 on a pitch offering turn and bounce from the very first session of play.
He became just the third Indian bowler to have five-wicket innings hauls in three consecutive Test matches after fellow spinners Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and current coach Anil Kumble.
Having ended the only substantial resistance from the home side when he dismissed Jermaine Blackwood for a run-a-ball 62 in the last over before the lunch interval, Ashwin added swiftly to his tally in the afternoon session, accounting for Marlon Samuels for 37 to a sharp catch at short-leg by Rahul and following up with the wickets of Shane Dowrich, Devendra Bishoo and captain Jason Holder in quick succession.
Blackwood and Samuels had put on 81 for the fourth wicket in the morning with Blackwood the dominant partner, stroking seven fours and four sixes in his counter-attacking innings. But it was not enough as the clatter of wickets resumed after he was trapped LBW by Ashwin.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies (first innings):
K. Brathwaite c Pujara b Sharma 1
R. Chandrika c Rahul b Shami 5
D. Bravo c Kohli b Sharma 0
M. Samuels c Rahul b Ashwin 37
J. Blackwood lbw Ashwin 62
R. Chase c Dhawan b Shami 10
S. Dowrich c wkpr Saha b Ashwin 5
J. Holder c Rahul b Ashwin 13
D. Bishoo c Dhawan b Ashwin 12
M. Cummins not out 24
S. Gabriel c Kohli b Mishra
Extras: 12
Total: 196
Fall of wkts: 1-4, 2-4, 3-7, 4-88, 5-115, 6-127, 7-131, 8-151, 9-158, 10-196.
Bowling: I. Sharma 10-1-53-2 (7nb), M. Shami 10-3-23-2 (1nb, 1w), R. Ashwin 16-2-52-5, U. Yadav 6-1-30-0 (1w), A. Mishra 10.3-3-38-1 (2nb).
India (first innings):
K.L. Rahul not out 107
S. Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27
C. Pujara not out 37
Extras: 14
Total: (for 1 wkt) 185
Fall of wkt: 1-87.
Bowling: S. Gabriel 11-3-21-0 (3nb), M. Cummins 12-1-44-0, J. Holder 14-6-31-0 (1nb), R. Chase 16-2-52-1, D. Bishoo 6-0-19-0, K. Brathwaite 4-0-9-0.
Making the most of his recall to the team due to a thumb injury sustained by Murali Vijay ahead of the match, Raul reached his third Test century with a six over long-on, but was generally watchful throughout the morning in getting to 107 in partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara (37 not out).
Trailing in the four-match series following an innings defeat in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier, the West Indies were far more disciplined with the ball over the first two hours of play than on the first evening.
Only 59 runs were added from the overnight position, extending the second-wicket partnership between Rahul and Pujara to 98, but none off the bowlers were able to make the much-needed breakthrough.
Of further concern to the home side would have been the sight of debutant fast-medium bowler Miguel Cummins leaving the field in some physical discomfort just before the interval.
At the other end, Pujara was even more watchful, adding only 19 runs to his overnight score without ever looking in any real difficulty on a pitch that still offered its challenges to the batsmen.
Cummins was able to extract awkward bounce to him on one occasion but in his trademark phlegmatic manner he continued watchfully through the period of play.
Late on Saturday, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tormented the West Indies yet again to claim a second consecutive five-wicket innings haul and dismiss the home side for 196 on the opening day of the second Test on Saturday.
Ashwin followed up his haul of seven for 83 in the final innings of the first Test a week earlier with 5 for 52 on a pitch offering turn and bounce from the very first session of play.
He became just the third Indian bowler to have five-wicket innings hauls in three consecutive Test matches after fellow spinners Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and current coach Anil Kumble.
Having ended the only substantial resistance from the home side when he dismissed Jermaine Blackwood for a run-a-ball 62 in the last over before the lunch interval, Ashwin added swiftly to his tally in the afternoon session, accounting for Marlon Samuels for 37 to a sharp catch at short-leg by Rahul and following up with the wickets of Shane Dowrich, Devendra Bishoo and captain Jason Holder in quick succession.
Blackwood and Samuels had put on 81 for the fourth wicket in the morning with Blackwood the dominant partner, stroking seven fours and four sixes in his counter-attacking innings. But it was not enough as the clatter of wickets resumed after he was trapped LBW by Ashwin.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies (first innings):
K. Brathwaite c Pujara b Sharma 1
R. Chandrika c Rahul b Shami 5
D. Bravo c Kohli b Sharma 0
M. Samuels c Rahul b Ashwin 37
J. Blackwood lbw Ashwin 62
R. Chase c Dhawan b Shami 10
S. Dowrich c wkpr Saha b Ashwin 5
J. Holder c Rahul b Ashwin 13
D. Bishoo c Dhawan b Ashwin 12
M. Cummins not out 24
S. Gabriel c Kohli b Mishra
Extras: 12
Total: 196
Fall of wkts: 1-4, 2-4, 3-7, 4-88, 5-115, 6-127, 7-131, 8-151, 9-158, 10-196.
Bowling: I. Sharma 10-1-53-2 (7nb), M. Shami 10-3-23-2 (1nb, 1w), R. Ashwin 16-2-52-5, U. Yadav 6-1-30-0 (1w), A. Mishra 10.3-3-38-1 (2nb).
India (first innings):
K.L. Rahul not out 107
S. Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27
C. Pujara not out 37
Extras: 14
Total: (for 1 wkt) 185
Fall of wkt: 1-87.
Bowling: S. Gabriel 11-3-21-0 (3nb), M. Cummins 12-1-44-0, J. Holder 14-6-31-0 (1nb), R. Chase 16-2-52-1, D. Bishoo 6-0-19-0, K. Brathwaite 4-0-9-0.
