All-rounder Ashwin (118) and wicketkeeper Saha (104) shared in a sixth-wicket stand of 213 runs, creating history by becoming the first India number six and number seven batsmen to score a century in the same innings. He was stuck on 99 for about 20 minutes in the morning session.
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Starting the day with a flurry of short balls outside the batsman’s arc, West Indies didn’t make use of the semi-new ball on offer.
Miguel Cummins went wicket-less in his maiden Test in Jamaica, and bowled 281 deliveries before picking up his first wicket in worldwide cricket, that of Ravindra Jadeja. The duo started from where they left yesterday and continued to dominate the proceedings.
He had scored 46 important runs the previous day, and today he started to impose himself a lot more playing the drive well, flicking the ball into the gaps and lofting the spinners to the boundary. Ashwin was already in his 90s by then, but Saha kept the majority of strike from here and made the most of it.
Four last Indian batsmen Ravindra Jadeja (6), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0), Mohammed Shami (0) and Ishant Sharma (0) failed to make any contribution. The batting collapse resulted in India being bowled for 353.
West Indian fast bowler Miguel Cummins had to wait 280 balls before taking his first Test wicket but was quick to admit that his job was to “build pressure”.
India’s Wriddhiman Saha plays a shot from the bowling of West Indies’ Shannon Gabriel during day two of their third cricket Test match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet, St. Lucia, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016.
The 31-year-old, who stepped out to bat when India were reeling at 126 for five on the opening day, dug deep and resisted anything and everything that West Indies threw at him. All four of his three-figure scores in the traditional format of the game have come against the West Indies.
Teeanage fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (3-69) enjoyed a promising test debut for the Windies, breaking the Ashwin-Saha partnership when he had Saha caught behind, a day after claiming the prized scalp of India captain Virat Kohli.
But, Rahul would account for Johnson eventually. They added 59 runs for the first wicket before a direct hit from Rahul at midwicket ran Johnson out for 23.
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“We have got to take each day one at a time, and to build on our position”, said Cummins after the day’s play.
