The West Indies team had their best day of this Test series against India so far, as they picked up the last five Indian first innings wickets for the addition of just 120 runs, and then reached 107 for the loss of one wicket at the close. On the second day of Test, the hosts were all at sea in the first half of the day as R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha extended their overnight stand for the sixth wicket to a massive 213 runs.
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Become a subscriber to the Trinidad Express Newspapers for access to all our articles via our vNEWS.. And unlike India, the changes made by the West Indies actually worked.
On the Indian batting line-up and Ashwin-Saha partnership. Rahul, however, made amends when his brilliant throw from shot mid-wicket to the non-striker’s end caught Johnson short. It was a fourth Test hundred for Ashwin, while Saha scored his maiden century. In the process they raised a 213-run partnership for the sixth wicket and India were nearly back on track with their plans of batting once in this match. This West Indies bowling attack are hardworking, but they seriously lack any real wicket taking threat. Chase was the provider once more, Saha choosing a more sedate stroke, a square drive through point for a brace that made him only the fourth Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to score a Test hundred overseas. Kraigg Brathwaite (53) and Darren Bravo (18) were unbeaten at stumps on a pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers. But the two batsmen were still not looking to get on with the scoring rate as they looked to settle down and play a long innings that would give their team the upper hand once again.
India are now leading the four-match Test series 1-0 following their massive win by an innings and 92 runs against the Windies in the opening match at Antigua. To add to their worries, Shami induced an edge of Kraigg Brathwaite that dropped short before Lokesh Rahul failed to hold on to a chance at slip.
He perished on the stroke of the first hour after tea but Bravo joined Brathwaite to ensure there was no customary collapse, by helping to post another 48 for the second wicket. Shannon Gabriel, then, banged in, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar handed it straight to the short-leg fielder.
“So we went thought, bit the bullet quite hard and wanted to just stick in there even if the runs weren’t quite coming”.
Where do you see West Indies right now in the Test?
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India had been reduced to 126/5 on the first day with Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out on single digit scores. The critical difference between the vigil on the first day and the crease occupation on the second was the manner in which Saha unlocked run-scoring opportunities.
