BCCI have given the nod to play 2 T20Is in the United States of America against West Indies.
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Embattled West Indies were left looking to the weather for salvation after Ajinkya Rahane stroked his seventh Test hundred and third in four innings, to leave India as firm favourites to win the second Test at Sabina Park.
Cricket fans enjoying corporate hospitality at the Kia Oval for England’s final Test against Pakistan could be there to witness a piece of history, as both sides are involved of a thrilling four-team battle for Test cricket’s number one ranking.
West Indies captain Holder told Sky Sports: ‘I asked the guys for an improvement from the last Test match and they really showed that. I thought we played really good cricket and we were dominant right throughout.
India’s resolute batting performance extended through two sessions of play on day three to put the tourists in complete command and on course for victory and a 2-0 lead in the four-match series barring protracted intervention by the elements over the remaining two days of the match. He had also bowled extensively in the first Test in Antigua, delivering 34 overs for 102 runs without taking a wicket in India’s only innings at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The West Indies bowlers gave a tough time to Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha (47) before home team captain Jason Holder trapped the wicket-keeper batsman in front of the stumps on the cusp of lunch to end the 98-run stand.
‘Shane also showed the character we know he has and we prevailed in the end’.
“This will be a great initiative in our continued efforts to develop cricket in the Americas [North and South America] a very important market”, Cameron said in a statement. The previous highest was 321 (on day six) between England and West Indies in Port of Spain in 1960.
With the wicket showing appreciable movement and bounce, he exploited the conditions well to make the going tough for the Indian batsmen, outfoxing them time and again.
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, man of the match in the first test, had a particularly tough day as he finished with 1-114 from 30 overs of off-spin. India were expected to run through the lower order provided rain allowed them the requisite overs – if you took the top order out in 16 overs, the rest should be easy?
Having started the second innings with a deficit of 304, the Windies appeared to be heading for another heavy loss as they collapsed to 48 for four on a rain-hit fourth day, but they looked like a different team on the final day. As such India’s score of 500/9 declared proved to a good one, but a little too slow on the scoring rate.
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Frustrating for the tourists, the result should build West Indies’ confidence ahead of the third test in St Lucia, starting August 9.
