Bravo’s 59 was comfortably the highest score of the innings – only Samuels and Chase got to double figures – and featured some trademark drives and lofts off the pads, but the fact that it was his first half-century of the series underlines how much West Indies have been let down by their second most experienced player. No wonder Kohli was happy when told about Indian team’s feat of winning two Test matches in a single series since they started coming to West Indies in the earl 1950′s.
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The 50-mark had come up in the ninth over, and Ajinkya Rahane (51 not out) then looked to push the scoring.
West Indies – 1st innings: 225 All Out (K Brathwaite 64; B Kumar 5/33).
However, the hosts struggled against the tourists’ pacemen and were bowled out meekly for 108. West Indies went into lunch at 53 for three.
Rain washed out the entire morning session on the third day of the third Test between West Indies and India on Thursday.
India began the day on 157-3 and added 60 quick runs despite four wickets for Miguel Cummins, who finished with 6-48 in only his second Test.
At stumps, the visitors were leading by overall 285 runs with a day to play.
“The team is feeling really good, especially because we didn’t have a day of play in Jamaica and fifth day was really testing for us”.
Brathwaite (53 not out) and Darren Bravo (18 not out) will carry the battle for the West Indies into the third morning seeking to match the determination and discipline of Ashwin and Saha in their record 213-run sixth-wicket stand that spanned nearly five hours.
Mohammed Shami returned three for 15 while Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each as India went 2-0 up in the four-Test series.
As both were getting into form, southpaw Bravo top-edged a Sharma rising ball to Jadeja’s waiting hands at fine leg when he was at 29 in 101 balls with three boundaries and the Windies were 129/1 in the 56th over.
Four deliveries later, Kumar trapped Kraigg Brathwaite leg before even as the ball stayed low just a bit. In the ongoing 3rd Test, Ashwin came into bat when India were reduced to 87-4 with the likes of Shikhar, Virat, Rohit and Rahul already in the hut.
At the other end, Samuels took on both Jadeja and Ashwin, attacking them in a measure approach and using his feet well.
India – 1st innings: 353 All Out. He used the aerial route on occasion, hitting a few lusty blows including a straight six against the off-spinner and brought up the 50-partnership off 132 balls, even as India took the new ball as soon as it became available.
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India crushed West Indies at the third test in St Lucia on Saturday, clinching the series and prompting captain Virat Kohli to say his team were going from “strength to strength”.
