Roston Chase produced a stunning innings to help West Indies avoid an innings defeat in Jamaica and draw the second Test with India on Wednesday.
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After a top order collapse on a rain-interrupted fourth day, West Indies had begun the final day’s play on 48-4 in its second innings. He had returned figures of five for 121 in India’s first innings.
West Indies have chose to drop struggling opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika from the 14-man-squad for the third Test against India, which begins on August 9 in St Lucia. “He’s off to a tremendous start in his Test career – with a terrific five-wicket haul and then a significant century like this which saved the match”, said Richards. No play was possible thereafter, with the day called off. After settling in Lokesh Rahul scored at a good pace but Pujara’s block-a-thon strategy did not work for India. He should have scored at least at 50 strike rate.
Kingston: Sitting comfortably with a 304-run lead, India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said the plans of batting just once during the match seems to have worked for the team. A couple more wickets on Day 3 would have added to pressure on the batsmen.
Rain playing spoilsport: The weather forecast showed chances of rain on Day 4 and that is exactly what happened.
Chase added an unbeaten 103-run stand with skipper Holder (64 not out) as West Indies reached 388 for six in 104 overs following which both the captains chose to end the game in a draw with 10 overs left in the day.
It didn’t work as Blackwood smacked his second fifty in the Test off only 41 balls, bringing it up in the 31st over as 79 runs came in the first hour’s play. Ashwin (one for 49) was finally introduced in the 28th over of the innings. West Indies went into lunch at 215 for five.
Rahane also said that the pitch favored the quicks and cautioned the Indian bowlers to stick to the basics when they take the field tomorrow. But, Roston Chase wanted a different ending for the West Indies. At tea when they were 15 ahead, and there were 30 overs left, we still felt we could win.
Chase (122 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) found another solid support in Shane Dowrich who was batting at 33 in an unbeaten 74 run stand for the sixth wicket as a bright sunny day made conditions better for batting at Sabina Park.
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Blackwood restarted day four with his new partner Chase and things could have been very different had he not survived a caught behind shout first up.
