However, the Windies still face vast pressure to avoid going 2-0 down in the four-test series with two full sessions remaining in the match and a forecast for mainly fine weather.
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Chase featured in two fighting partnerships – 93 runs with Jermaine Blackwood (63) for the fifth wicket and 141 runs with Shane Dowrich (74) for the sixth wicket to frustrate India’s push for victory as the West Indies scored 319-6 in their second innings going into the final session.
The 24-year-old, who had also taken a five-wicket haul in India’s first innings, was measured and played counter-attacking cricket, ably supported first by Jermaine Blackwood, then Shane Dowrich and finally Jason Holder. The ploy didn’t work as Blackwood reached his second fifty in the Test off only 41 balls as 79 runs came in the first hour.
Kingston: Describing Mohammed Shami as an “important cog in our wheel”, India head coach Anil Kumble has expressed that he is pleased with the paceman’s progress since his Test return in the ongoing series against the West Indies.
This gritty display was in stark contrast to the rain-truncated fourth day’s play where the hosts lost four wickets within 15.5 overs after India declared their first innings at 500-9.
The third test will be played at Gros Islet on the island of Saint Lucia from August 9-13. Jadeja’s presence offers two benefits – he can provide a lot of control with the ball and he can give an extra batting option down at seven or eight. “It was really good to see Roston batting an entire day”.
He suffered an inauspicious Test debut past year against Australia when he scored a pair at Sabina Park and enjoyed no improved fortunes in the drawn second Test against India which ended Wednesday here, making five and one. Virat Kohli even tried to use verbal tactics to push Chase out of his comfort zone, but all of it fell on deaf ears.
Kohli said, “It was a testing day”.
“They really stood up to the challenge and we should be proud of this kind of performance”.
India’s Ravichandran Ashwin bowls against West Indies during day one of their second cricket Test match at the Sabina Park Cricket Ground in Kingston, Jamaica, Saturday, July 30, 2016.
That has left the home side needing another 256 runs on the final day to avoid an innings defeat but, with plenty of time having already been lost to the elements, India will know the outcome of the match is still in the balance.
“That looks a very soft dismissal to me”, said former West Indies batsman Viv Richards on the television commentary.
Chandrika has been replaced by Shai Hope in the 14-man squad, selectors said on Thursday.
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However, the hosts continue to trail India 0-1 in the four-match series after suffering an innings defeat in Antigua.
