In just his second Test, the 24-year-old Barbadian batted through the entire day to finish unbeaten on 137, an innings that occupied six hours during which he faced 269 balls, striking 15 fours and one six. Ajinkya Rahane face the average West Indian attack with absolute brilliance and took India’s lead ahead of 300.
Advertisement
Having rattled up a first innings score of 500, India will now have to bowl West Indies out and bat again to win a match that was frequently interrupted by rain on Tuesday.
Sobers, the only player to accomplish the feat twice, last achieved that double in 1966.
However West Indies dominated from the very first over as Chase and his fellow middle-order batsman displayed assurance and more than a touch of class.
India are still leading the four-match series 1-0 and will aim to take an unassailable 2-0 lead when they will play the third Test on August 9 at Gros Islet.
Kingston: The weather stands in the way of India going 2-0 up in the series after rain forced an early end to play on day four with the West Indies in deep trouble at 48/4 in their second innings and 256 runs behind the visitors.
West Indies named an otherwise unchanged squad for the third Test, buoyed by a solid rearguard action in the second Test which ended at Sabina Park in Kingston in a draw on Wednesday.
Blackwood, in fact, took the attack to India, hitting 63 off only 54 balls, though he fell to Ravichandran Ashwin, offering a hard bat-pad catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg. He had also bowled extensively in the first Test in Antigua, delivering 34 overs for 102 runs without taking a wicket in India’s only innings at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The only West Indies wicket to fall during the post lunch session was that of Shane Dowrch – a virtual gift by umpire Ian Gould to leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
West Indies resumed last day’s play on 48 for four. Chase then found and able partner in Shane Dowrich and the duo batted positively.
The day started bright and sunny though, and Rahane quickly got to his Test fifty off 93 balls. We created a few chances that didn’t go to hand, beat them quite a few times but at the end of the day it was really good batting as well. “Our bowlers tried hard but you just have to doff your hat to them”.
Advertisement
West Indies have chose to drop struggling opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika from the 14-man-squad for the third Test against India, which begins on August 9 in St Lucia.
