Ravi Chandran Ashwin scored his 4th Test hundred – all against the West Indies and well supported by Wriddhiman Saha with his maiden hundred to help India post a respectable total in the first innings of 3rd Test match in St. Lucia.
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West Indies has slowly grown into the series, following a spirited fightback to draw the second test in Jamaica.
India lost their first 5 wickets for 126 runs and their last 5 wickets for just 14 runs.
Among the bowlers, Miguel Cummins finished with 3-54, a haul that included Ashwin’s wicket after the batsman completed his second century of the series, Joseph took 3-69, and Shannon Gabriel and Roston Chase chipped in with two wickets apiece. “They had their bursts and then it was time for me to hit my line and be consistent and to keep the pressure up for those who came to bowl next, even the spinners so they can take wickets”, Cummins concluded.
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.
Saha’s eagerness meant that 51 runs came off the last 10 overs going into the lunch break, a second session without any loss of wickets for India.
Their partnership at the Darren Sammy National Stadium, so far worth 190, is now the best sixth-wicket effort for India against the West Indies in Tests. He faced 65 balls and struck six fours, falling with the score on 77. Johnson had tapped the ball a little wide of Rahul at mid-wicket and set of for the run, but Rahul was quick to react and threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end with an accurate throw.
“It’s hard to try and think too far ahead [at No. 6]”, Ashwin said after scoring his fourth Test hundred against West Indies. While Ashwin brought up his fourth Test century, Saha battled the conditions and some testing bowling to score his maiden Test hundred.
In the following over (122), Saha nicked the ball from Alzarri Joseph to be caught by stumper Shane Dowrich for 104 in 227 balls with 13 boundaries, which is the highest in this innings. It was Saha, who showed more application on the day. It was also Saha’s first test century. Ashwin said it had been “very hard to score” at times.
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India will be determined to retain a first innings lead when they take the field on Thursday. Then came a pull, and a couple of drives through the off side, one along the ground, squarer off Gabriel, and the other in the air, straighter off Kraigg Brathwaite’s offspin.
