Rahane shines, India take lead

KINGSTON, Jamaica: India reached 425 for six at lunch on the third day of their second Test against West Indies, further tightening their grip with a lead of 229 runs.

Ajinkya Rahane — on 42 at the end of the second day — reached his fifty off 93 balls and was not out on 74. Wicketkeeper batsman WP Saha went from 17 to 47 before he was trapped lbw by West Indies skipper Jason Holder — the only success the hosts had in the first session of the day.

A Test match can be a bit like a puppy dog. Great players can lead it wherever they want. This West Indian XI does not have great players. They have great triers. Despite their best efforts, the only thing that seemed to threaten India’s chances in Kingston was the weather. A tropical storm has been forecast to hit the region on the fourth day.

Rahane found himself part of a pattern, one that has been central to India’s success in the Caribbean.

They have played nine-and-a-half sessions in this series. And a set batsman had been out there every time.

Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin began the trend in Antigua. It continued with KL Rahul on Sunday and Rahane on Monday, as he got to his fifty with a fierce square cut to the third man boundary. It was a shot he used often and his back-foot play overall was excellent.

India began to attack towards the latter part of the session. Saha, who had edged the sixth ball he faced to the slips in the morning, had the confidence to stride down the track to Devendra Bishoo and loft him over mid-off. The West Indian legspinner was in the middle of a good spell, floating the ball up and finding appreciable turn.

Score Board

West Indies won toss

West Indies 1st innings 196 all-out (J Blackwood 62; Ashwin 5-52)

India 1st innings

K L Rahul c Dowrich b Gabriel         158

S Dhawan c Bravo b Chase  27

C A Pujara run out    46

*V Kohli c Chandrika b Chase         44

A M Rahane not out   74

R Ashwin lbw b Bishoo         3

†W P Saha lbw b Holder       47

Extras (b 8, lb 3, w 6, nb 9) 26

Total (6 wickets; 151.4 overs)        425

To bat: A Mishra, M Shami, I Sharma, U T Yadav

Fall: 1-87, 2-208, 3-277, 4-310, 5-327, 6-425

Bowling: Gabriel 28-8-62-1 (7nb); Cummins 21.4-4-74-0 (1w); Holder 32-12-66-1 (1nb, 1w); Chase 29-3-91-2; Bishoo 32-5-95-1; Brathwaite 9-0-26-0

Test debut: M L Cummins (West Indies)

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and I J Gould (England). TV umpire: N Duguid. Match referee: R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka)