This was the first time in the history of Indian cricket that the batsmen batting at numbers six and seven had scored centuries in the same innings. West Indies stacked up one side of the field, and their strike bowlers spent their energy bowling on that side of the wicket, hoping for impatient shots from the batsmen. Came today, saw the guys take wickets but didn’t let that fluster me.
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India’s theoretical dislike of slow scoring, and some of the selections in Virat Kohli’s Test team might leave you anxious for the future of old-fashioned Test batsmen, but Saha and Ashwin continued to bat for the tribe after the rescue job on day one. There still was considerable bounce in the pitch but both Ashwin and Saha tackled it well.
Earlier, Ashwin carved out his fourth Test century against West Indies and the second of the series while Saha gathered his maiden hundred, to extend India’s resurgence and further frustrate West Indies.
Ashwin was also involved in a 213-run stand for the sixth wicket with Wriddhiman Saha (104), who hit his maiden hundred, that was key to India’s fightback.
While responding to India’s first innings total, West Indies batting looked confident.
West Indies replied in steady fashion, losing only the wicket of opener Leon Johnson due to a run-out from KL Rahul.
Ashwin, on the other hand, had taken his patience to a different level when he waited for 15 balls to move from 99 to 100.
Ashwin was as sedate as he was on Tuesday, letting Saha take care of getting the boundaries. Ashwin did enjoy the fortune of the courageous in this innings. Creaming two boundaries off Cummins in the 109th over was first indication of how he was ready to attack West Indies. His defence was compact and as he grew in confidence, Saha’s strokeplay became increasingly adventurous and authoritative. It was not easy as we had lost five wickets and the conditions were hard with the outfield being very slow. But India still hadn’t learnt their lesson.
Right-arm pacer Miguel Cummins took 3 for 54. Darren Bravo too wasn’t tested enough with short balls and as a result West Indies moved slowly but surely towards an assuring start.
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Playing his first Test for 19 months, the Guyanese left-hander survived a chance at slip off Mohammed Shami just before tea before being run out for 23 by Lokesh Rahul’s direct throw to the bowler’s end after an opening partnership of 59 with Kraigg Brathwaite.
