Captain Virat Kohli and opener Mayank Agarwal hit solid half centuries to put India on the driver’s seat but West Indies captain’s Jason Holder’s tireless bowling effort made it an absorbing opening day of the second Test in Jamaica on Friday.
Kohli, Agarwal steadied India’s innings after initial struggles as the visiting side reached 264/5 at stumps on a testing Sabina Park pitch which had a generous helping of grass on it. Hanuma Vihari (42*) and Rishabh Pant (27*) were involved in an unbeaten 62-run stand for the sixth wicket at the end of day’s play.
The hosts, after winning the toss, got the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and a well-set Kohli in the first hour of the final session to make sure the visitors did not wrestle advantage completely. Kohli was Holder’s third wicket of the day (3/39) as the West Indies captain bowled a peach of an away-moving delivery to end his counterpart’s innings on 76.
The Indian captain and Agarwal (55) stitched together 69 runs from 24 overs for the third wicket to begin India’s re-building after they were reduced to 46/2 in 17 overs in the morning session.
Kohli, who gained in confidence after the initial hard work, was batting on 52 off 125 deliveries at the tea break and looked to be on his way to a ton after a flurry of boundaries in the final session. It was not to be.
First Test centurion Rahane was out for 24 in the first over after tea after looking quite at ease in his brief stay.
The captain-vice captain duo has so far put together 43 runs from 18.1 overs for the unbroken fourth wicket as India lost just one wicket in the post-lunch session as compared to two in the morning session.
India added 85 runs in the second session from 29 overs as they worked through to 157/3 from 59 overs. The visiting side had ended the first session at 72/2.
It was opener Agarwal who laid the foundation of the Indian rebuilding with a solid batting display. Playing in his fourth Test, the 28-year-old Agarwal reached to his fifty as he edged a Kemar Roach delivery to the boundary ropes.
Agarwal fell inside the first hour of the post-lunch session after scoring his third career half century. His cut shot in the 41st over of the India innings went straight to first slip. His 55 came from 127-balls from which he hit seven boundaries.
Kohli took time to settle down on a tricky pitch as he took 16 balls to open his account during the morning session. He was tested by the tight bowling from the West Indians, especially by debutant off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall.
The Indian captain gained in confidence as the match wore on and he hit two exquisite cover drives towards the end of the second session. Resuming on individual score on 31 in the second session, he reached to his 22nd career half century off a single in the 55th over bowled by Shannon Gabriel.
Earlier, India fought their way to 72/2 from 30 overs after opener KL Rahul (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (6) were dismissed cheaply in the opening session.
After West Indies captain Jason Holder opted to field, Rahul and Agarwal negotiated the first half an hour but their first half-century stand at this level continued to elude them.
Holder introduced himself in the seventh over and immediately got the breakthrough by having the wicket of Rahul to break the 32-run opening stand.
Pujara, who came after Rahul’s departure in the seventh over, struggled again as he took 15 deliveries to open his account and was finally out for 6 which came from 25 balls.
The bounce extracted by 26-year-old off-spinner Cornwall brought about Pujara’s downfall as he hit straight to the hands of substitute Shamarh Brooks.
India are unchanged for this Test match while West Indies brought in Cornwall and ‘keeper Jemarh Hamilton (in place of injured Shai Hope). The hosts are trailing 1-0 in the series.
(With PTI inputs)
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