Ind vs WI: India make solid start

K.L. Rahul plays a shot en route to his aggressive unbeaten knock of 87 on the first day of the second Test

Opener K.L. Rahul made utmost use of the opportunity he had got as he remained unbeaten at (87*) with a solid looking no. 3 Chetes-hwar Pujara (20*) giving him company in the first hour of second day’s play here on Sunday. India were 148/1 in 50 overs. Despite having the upper hand, India opted to be cautious in the 13 overs bowled in the first hour.

Infact, Pujara scored his first run at the stroke of the first hour. The Windies pacers led by skipper Jason Holder were steady and were willing to be patient as they kept bowling at the fourth stump corridor.

Earlier on Day One, India’s bowlers and batsmen dominated the show as the West Indies’ decision to bat backfired.

The West Indies were dismissed by tea at Sabina Park for 196 in their first innings, and India finished the day on 126/1 — only 70 runs behind.

Captain Jason Holder surprised many by putting his side into bat, with Indian counterpart Virat Kohli saying he would have chosen to bowl. Holder soon regretted the decision as his side slipped to 7/3 with Jermaine Blackwood (62) dismissed in the final over of the session as West Indies reached lunch on 88/4. Seamers Mohammed Shami (2/23) and Ishant Sharma (2/53) dismantled the hosts’ top order on a bowler-friendly pitch. The afternoon session brought further turmoil for the West Indies.

Ravichandran Ashwin took advantage of the spinning conditions to quickly work his way through West Indies’ middle-order, including Marlon Samuels (37), the only batsman to make any impression in the second session of the day. Ashwin took 5/52, his second consecutive five-wicket-haul in this series.

Minutes before tea, Shannon Gabriel fell to Amit Mishra’s leg spin to bring the innings to a close. While the hosts struggled with the conditions, India blunted the West Indies attack with relative ease as the openers scored steadily before Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed by off spinner Roston Chase for 27, making it 87/1.

Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara took advantage of an average West Indies bowling attack.

Scoreboard West Indies (1st innings): KC Brathwaite c Pujara b Sharma 1, R. Chandrika c Rahul b Shami 5, DM Bravo c Kohli b Sharma 0, MN Samuels c Rahul b Ashwin 37, J. Blackwood lbw b Ashwin 62, RL Chase c Dhawan b Shami 10, SO Dowrich c Saha b Ashwin 5, JO Holder c Rahul b Ashwin 13, D Bishoo c Dhawan b Ashwin 12, ML Cummins (not out) 24, ST Gabriel c Kohli b Mishra 15. Extras: (w 2, nb 10) 12. Total: (in 52.3 overs) 196. FoW: 1-4, 2-4, 3-7, 4-88, 5-115, 6-127, 7-131, 8-151, 9-158. Bowling: I. Sharma 10-1-53-2, Shami 10-3-23-2, Ashwin 16-2-52-5, Yadav 6-1-30-0, Mishra 10.3-3-38-1. India (1st innings, o/n 126/1): K.L. Rahul (batting) 87, S. Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27, C. Pujara (batting) 20. Extras: (b8, lb1, nb5) 14. Total: (for 1 wkt, in 50 overs) 148. FoW: 1-87. Bowling: Gabriel 11-3-21-0, Cummins 7-0-31-0, Holder 14-6-31-0, Chase 13-2-35-1, Bishoo 2-0-13-0, Brathwaite 3-0-8-0