WI trail India by 246 runs with 3 more days to go.
Advertisement
Rajendra Chandrika had finally made way for Leon Johnson, the highest run-scorer in West Indies first-class circuit the last season.
India vs West Indies 3rd Test: India entered the 3rd Test without two solid defensive batsmen (Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara) in a bid to score faster to increase the probability to get a result, but this move looks to have backfired.
At lunch, India were 316 for five with the overnight pair of Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha (100) adding 82 without being seperated in the first session.
The big comeback, though, was that of West Indies in the series. None of that arrived.
The intent came in the second hour with Saha taking risks and Ashwin taking only what came his way, understandable given he was approaching a hundred.
“We’re happy with his day’s work”.
“The ball was doing a bit with sideways movement. and with this being an open ground, and with the breeze, there was swing throughout the day”.
That brought Kohli to the crease but he was only able to contribute three runs before becoming 19-year-old Joseph’s first global wicket, the India captain fending a short ball straight to Darren Bravo at slip. Both batsmen started off the day the way they ended the first one: keep wickets intact and play the ball according to its merit.
Ashwin always seemed destined for his centyury and it was Saha who was the revelation in the first session.
West Indies will be hoping their batsmen can continue what was started in the last Test when Roston Chase struck his maiden Test century and Holder, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and Jermaine Blackwood all got half-centuries.
But the West Indies will take heart from the way they quickly wrapped up the tail.
Ashwin scored his fourth Test hundred while Saha became the first Bengal player in eight years after Sourav Ganguly to score a Test century. In between the Cummins carnage, Gabriel came back to get a much-deserved second wicket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught at short leg. But this pitch is known for its bounce and carry which is good for the bowlers. The Windies were left to rue Ashwin being bowled off a Shannon Gabriel no-ball on 35.
Advertisement
India missed the opportunity for early success when Lokesh Rahul could not hold on to a diving attempt at second slip when Johnson edged a delivery from Mohammed Shami in the sixth over of the innings. Because, I was playing for the first time so nerves took in.
