At the time of publishing this story, India started confidently by scoring 103 for 1 in the first innings. K.L. Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara are at the crease. Shikhar Dhawan is the batsman out for 27.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed five for 52 as Indian bowlers dominated the proceedings as they bowled out West Indies for a meagre 196 at tea on the first day of the second cricket Test in Kingston on Saturday.
Courtesy Ashwin and the early breakthroughs provided by Ishant Sharma (2/52) and Mohammed Shami (2/23), India maintained their tight leash on the West Indies after the hosts opted to bat first on a wicket that had something for the bowlers.
For West Indies, Jermaine Blackwood scored a run-a-ball 62 with seven fours and four sixes while Marlon Samuels contributed 37 off 88 balls despite a sedate start.
Ashwin took his 18th five wicket haul in Test cricket as his wickets tally now goes upto 188 in 34th longer format game. He now has four five-wicket haul in four consecutive matches and only third Indian spinner to do so after Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Anil Kumble.
The slide in the post—tea session began when Samuels starting to attack, was fooled by Ashwin’s flight lobbing a simple catch to KL Rahul short-leg.
Six overs later, Shane Dowrich (5) edged one behind from the toe—end of his bat, the batsman in half mind whether to leave or play at the ball.
At the other end, Shami got rid of Chase, and he should have had Devendra Bishoo’s scalp too. But the batsman was twice given not out off successive deliveries in the 39th over, even though he seemed to have edged behind off both.
He was on 2 then, and added 10 runs to his individual score, before Ashwin trapped him into playing a sweep shot that leapt up in the air and was safely pouched by Shikhar Dhawan at short fine leg in the 44th over.
The off—spinner celebrated his second successive five—wicket haul in the series two overs later then, as Jason Holder (13) was out caught bat—pad at forward short leg.
At the stroke of tea then, Amit Mishra (1—38) wrapped up the West Indies’ innings, but not before Miguel Cummins (24*) and Shannon Gabriel (15) threw their bats around to add 38 runs for the last wicket.
Earlier, Blackwood scored an attacking half—century and put on 81 runs Samuels for the 5th wicket as the two local boys rescued their team from a precarious position of 7/3.
This was after West Indies won the toss on a damp pitch and elected to bat. They made one change to their line—up, bringing in debutant Miguel Cummins in place of Carlos Brathwaite, while India were forced to make a change as well.
KL Rahul came into the side in place of the injured Murali Vijay.
Ishant and Shami then started proceedings for India, and the two bowlers were right on the money from the word go. The former in particular was impressive with his line and length, a marked improvement from the Antigua Test, as he pitched the ball further up and got it to move about.
He also used the bounce on offer, and the rewards came quickly. Kraigg Brathwaite (1) was unable to fend off a short delivery in the 3rd over, lobbing an easy catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at forward short leg.
Off the very next ball, Darren Bravo (0) was forced to fend an incoming delivery and skipper Virat Kohli completed a brilliant diving catch at second slip.
Three overs later, Shami got Rajendra Chandrika (5) to drive, only to find KL Rahul at gully as West Indies were struggling within the first 30 minutes of play.
Blackwood then joined Samuels in the middle, and suddenly there was a momentum shift as the former brought out his attacking shots. It was in the 11th over that things stepped into high gear, as he smacked Ishant for 14 runs, the last boundary a streaky four that Mishra missed at backward point.
He was batting on 23 then.
Spin was introduced in the 12th over as Ashwin came on, but Blackwood went after him as well, smacking 10 runs off his second over.
Samuels continuously egged him on at the other end. He played some attacking shots as well, including a cut six off Umesh Yadav (0—30), though he was tight enough in his defence too.
It seemed as there was a continuous barrage of sixes, five of them coming in this first session of play, four from Blackwood alone as West Indies raced past the 50—mark in the 16th over despite their poor start.
Their 50—partnership had come off just 75 balls, and in doing so Blackwood reached his 7th Test fifty off only 47 balls.
India didn’t seem to have any answers to this assault, and both spinners had been introduced within 17 overs, with Mishra coming on to bowl as well.
There were some interesting shouts against Blackwood, who lived dangerously. And just when it seemed that West Indies had managed to sneak into the lunch break without any further loss, Ashwin trapped Blackwood LBW to bring an end to his hectic stay at the crease.
