Pant, Rahane give India control in second Test

HYDERABAD, India: Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant hit unbeaten half-centuries to hand India the advantage against West Indies on day two of the second Test in Hyderabad on Saturday.

The hosts were 308-4 at stumps, trailing the West Indies by three runs. Rahane, on 75, and Pant, on 85, have put on an unbeaten 146-run fifth-wicket stand.

Paceman Umesh Yadav also played a part in India’s domination with his career-best figures of 6-88 that helped bowl out the West Indies for 311 early in the morning session.

In reply, India were in trouble at 162-4 with West Indies skipper Jason Holder taking two wickets including his counterpart Virat Kohli’s prized scalp in the afternoon session.

The right-left batting combination of Rahane and Pant ensured a wicket-less final session with their contrasting batting.

Rahane played a cautious knock to register his 15th Test fifty while Pant was his swashbuckling self as he hit 10 fours and 2 big sixes in his 120-ball stay so far. It was Pant’s second successive 50 plus score after his 92 in the team’s opening win in Rajkot.

Teenage opener Prithvi Shaw also smashed 70 off 53 balls as India mounted a strong reply only to lose their way after lunch.

Shaw fell to left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican after hitting 11 fours and a six and Pujara went for 10 in the very next over off paceman Shannon Gabriel.

Kohli tried to steady the innings with some fluent stroke-play as he built a 60-run partnership with Rahane but was denied what could have been his 20th Test fifty.

Holder, who scored 52 in West Indies’ first innings, trapped Kohli lbw for 45.

The West Indies were hit by injury to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich early in the Indian innings, and replaced him with substitute Jahmar Hamilton behind the stumps.

Hamilton was far from convincing behind the stumps and apart from a few misses down the leg side he dropped Pant on 24 off Gabriel.

Earlier Umesh Yadav, who lost his pace partner in debutant Shardul Thakur due to a groin strain on day one, picked all the three West Indian wickets to fall in the morning after the tourists started the day on 295-7.

Roston Chase top-scored with 106 after West Indies elected to bat first. Chase, who started the day on 98, was eventually bowled by Yadav.

Yadav soon got Gabriel on the very next ball to become the first Indian quick to get six wickets on home soil after Javagal Srinath’s 6-45 against New Zealand at Mohali in 1999.

Score Board

TOSS: WEST INDIES

WEST INDIES FIRST INNINGS (overnight 295-7)

Brathwaite lbw b K Yadav 14

Powell c Jadeja b Ashwin 22

Hope lbw b U Yadav 36

Hetmyer lbw b K Yadav 12

Ambris c Jadeja b K Yadav 18

Chase b U Yadav 106

Dowrich lbw b U Yadav 30

Holder c Pant b U Yadav 52

Bishoo b U Yadav 2

Warrican not out 8

Gabriel c Pant b U Yadav 0

Extras (B-6, LB-5) 11

Total (All out, 101.4 overs) 311

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-52, 3-86, 4-92, 5-113, 6-182, 7-286, 8-296, 9-311, 10-311.

BOWLING: U Yadav 26.4-3-88-6, Thakur 1.4-0-9-0, Ashwin 24.2-7-49-1, K Yadav 29-2-85-3, Jadeja 20-2-69-0.

INDIA FIRST INNINGS

Rahul b Jason Holder 4

Shaw c Hetmyer b Warrican 70

Pujara c sub b Gabriel 10

Kohli lbw b Holder 45

Rahane not out 75

Pant not out 85

Extras (B-12, LB-2, NB-5) 19

Total (4 wkts, 81 overs) 308

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-98, 3-102, 4-162.

To bat: Ashwin, Jadeja, K Yadav, Thakur, U Yadav.

BOWLING: Gabriel 13-1-73-1(3nb), Holder 14-2-45-2 (2nb), Warrican 24-4-76-1, Chase 9-1-22-0, Bishoo 19-4-72-0, Brathwaite 2-0-6-0.

Match officials: Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG); Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).