Ind vs WI: Ajinkya Rahane completes fifty; India consolidate lead

West Indies’ off-spinner Roston Chase celebrates after taking the wicket of Virat Kohli on the second day of the second Test on Sunday. (Photo: AP)

Ajinkya Rahane completed his half-century and in the company of wicket-keeper Wriddh-iman Saha, increased India’s lead to 196 runs after the completion of the first hour’s play on the third day of the second Test at Kingston on Monday. India were placed at 392/5 at the end of 138 overs with Rahane batting on 59 and Saha on 32.

Opener Lokesh Rahul showed a lot of composure hitting a career-best 158 as India reached a comfortable 358/5 on the second day thereby taking complete control of the second Test against the West Indies.

At stumps, India had consolidated their lead to a sizeable 162 runs despite only 232 runs being scored in the 88 overs bowled in the day as the visitors looked to grind the home team with an aim of outbatting them.

Rahane looked confident during his unbeaten knock in company of Wriddhiman Saha (17 batting).

With three days of play left, India have enough time to register another facile win over a below-par Test outfit.

Rahul certainly was the hero of the day as he scored his third Test century on foreign soil with the help of 15 boundaries and three huge sixes — the first of which enabled him to complete a coveted ton. It was a compact innings in which he played 303 balls.

Scoreboard West Indies (1st innings) 196 India (1st innings, o/n 358/5): K.L. Rahul c Dowrich b Gabriel 158, S Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27, C. Pujara (run out) 46, V. Kohli c Chandrika b Chase 44, A. Rahane (batting) 59, R. Ashwin lbw b Bishoo 3, W. Saha (batting) 32. Extras: (b8, lb1, w5, nb9) 23. Total: (for 5 wkts, in 138 overs) 392. FoW: 1-87, 2-208, 3-277, 4-310, 5-327. Bowling: Gabriel 28-8-62-1, Cummins 21.4-4-74-0, Holder 25.2-10-51-0, Chase 29-3-91-2, Bishoo 25-3-79-1, Brathwaite 9-0-26-0.