Resuming on 234-5 overnight, Ashwin made 118 and wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha added 104 before India was bowled out in the second session.
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India had nearly battled through an afternoon session in which they scored just 43 runs when Ajinkya Rahane’s patient innings of 35 runs from 133 balls came to an end moments before tea.
After losing Saha and Ashwin, the visitors” lower-order batsmen didn’t manage to counter West Indies “s bowling attack for long as India ended up losing their last four wickets for just six runs.
Needing to win the series 3-0 to displace Australia at the top of the global rankings, India have also omitted leg-spinner Amit Mishra and fast bowler Umesh Yadav in preference for left-arm orthodox slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
India now leads the four-test series 1-0. However, the missed chance didn’t prove too costly as Johnson got run out on 23, after Rahul rattled the stumps from mid-wicket.
Brathwaite was unbeaten on 53 having batted for just under two and a half hours and struck six boundaries.
Indias batting coach Sanjay Bangar has heaped praise on star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for his valuable contribution with the bat at No.6 at a crucial time in the ongoing Test series against the West Indies.
India will be determined to retain a first innings lead when they take the field on Thursday.
Earlier, Windies bundled out India for 353-run in 129.4 overs.
Yet even as the score slowed to a crawl for much of the session, West Indies captain Jason Holder just could not conjure the breakthrough even as he rotated his four frontline bowlers along with the off-spin of Chase, which has become an increasingly important element of the home side’s limited armoury in the series.
# For the first time in a Test innings vs West Indies, Rohit Sharma has been dismissed without scoring a century. West Indies, on their part, will look to build on what looks like a solid base.
After winning the toss and putting India into bat, West Indies started well by taking two early wickets.
Alzarri Joseph, who has been impressive on his debut, orchestrated the second Indian collapse. Then, in the 82nd over as the new ball was taken, Joseph (2-38) induced an edge only for the ball to die down inches away from keeper Shane Dowrich.
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Continuing from their rescue on the previous day, Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha hit a ton apiece to help India reach 353 on the second day of the third Test.
