Shami, Yadav wreck WI

North Sound (Antigua), JulY 23

Mohammed Shami marked his return to Test cricket with four wickets, including two in an over, as India reduced West Indies to 157/7 and took firm control of the first Test.

At tea on Day Three, Shane Dowrich (6) and Jason Holder (9) were at the crease, with West Indies still trailing by 409 runs in reply to India's mammoth first-innings total of 566/8 declared.

Just before tea, Umesh Yadav picked up two wickets, including the crucial one of opener Kraigg Brathwaite (74), to put India on top. Returning to the squad after a one and a half year injury layoff, Shami rocked the West Indies, taking 4/41 in the first innings.

Post lunch, it was an improved display by the Indian bowlers who looked to change their line and length from the morning. And the change could be seen almost immediately as Shami started proceedings after the break. He kept both Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels (1) guessing, inducing an edge off the latter in the 49th over.

Four deliveries later, it became a double blow, as Jermaine Blackwood (0) was unable to fend off a sharp rising delivery and was caught at gully by Ajinkya Rahane. Thereafter a short partnership developed between Brathwaite and debutant Roston Chase (23) and they looked comfortable at the crease for the duration of their 47-run stand.

Brathwaite went on to score his 9th Test fifty off 156 deliveries, while the West Indies' 100-mark came up in the 51st over. Indian skipper Virat Kohli then went on the offensive and played around with his fielding combinations, putting in as many as five close-in catching positions for his pacers.

The trick worked as Umesh Yadav (2/26) broke through, first dismissing Chase who was caught at midwicket with Kohli doing the necessary catching himself. 

Two overs later, the same aggressive fielding worked as Brathwaite was forced to fend off a short delivery instead of pulling it, and edged behind to keeper Wriddhiman Saha, who affected his fifth dismissal of the innings.

R Ashwin (0/36) could have had a wicket too, towards the end of the session as Dowrich edged to Rahane at slip, but the ball was seen to have bounced on replay. 

Earlier, West Indies reached 90/3 at lunch after Brathwaite had defied the Indian bowlers along with Devendra Bishoo (12).

The duo put on 38 for the second wicket but more importantly frustrated the visitors by batting out 17.5 overs. Starting at their overnight score of 31/1, Bishoo looked to stay with his partner for as long as possible, and he was successful in achieving that goal. 

He frustrated the Indian bowlers for nearly 70 minutes, and in this interim, saw off Ishant Sharma (0-34), Yadav and Shami without much discomfort.

Wanted to bat in the top seven: Ashwin

A third Test hundred in his kitty, Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed a desire to bat at No. 6, which has been his long time goal. Ashwin (113 off 253) struck his third Test ton on Day Two.

“I’ve always wanted to bat in the top seven for the Indian team, which is a long-time goal that I have to try to strive to get better at,” said Ashwin. “I need to thank Anil Kumble and Virat for having the confidence in me to be pushed at No. 6. There have been times in the past when I’ve played really well and haven’t really got the promotion. This really says a whole lot of things about me. Kohli called me in the morning and said ‘you’ll be batting at six, ahead of Saha’, which is a big boost to my batting confidence. I had worked on it over the past one month in Chennai with my coach and I’m very happy with the way it’s come out,” he added. — PTI