KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Embattled West Indies were left looking to the weather for salvation after Ajinkya Rahane stroked his seventh Test hundred and third in four innings, to leave India as firm favourites to win the second Test at Sabina Park.
When rain coupled with bad light ended yesterday’s third day abruptly, the hosts were facing a deficit of 304 runs and requiring a massive batting effort to save the game and avoid falling 0-2 behind in the four-Test series.
Their demise was shaped by the right-handed Rahane who carved out an unbeaten 108 as India, resuming the day on 358 for five, declared their innings on 500 for nine at 2.55 pm – 45 minutes before the rescheduled tea break.
Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha struck 47 and tail-ender Amit Mishra, 21, to help stretch India’s lead in the second session and leave West Indies with almost no way back into the game.
Part-time off-spinner Roston Chase, playing in only his second Test following his debut last week in Antigua, finished with five for 121 after taking three of the four Indian wickets to fall.
However, West Indies were unable to begin their second innings as a weather system, which had been forecast to affect the island, began to dump rain on the capital Kingston.
The showers kept the ground-staff busy for the next two hours before match officials finally called time on the game.
West Indies could be in for another reprieve on today’s penultimate day with thunderstorms already forecast.
Any hopes of making early inroads were quickly dashed yesterday as Rahane and Saha stretched their sixth wicket stand to 98, by controlling the morning session.
Rahane, unbeaten on 47 at the start, faced 237 balls overall and hit 13 boundaries and three sixes while Saha carried his overnight 17 to the brink of a third Test half-century before he perished on the stroke of lunch.
India pushed on purposely with Rahane reaching his eighth Test half-century in the fourth over of the morning by cutting seamer Miguel Cummins to the backward point boundary.
He then survived a chance on 65 when he cut leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo loosely to point where Rajendra Chandrika grassed the opportunity.
Saha, meanwhile, picked off five boundaries in his 116-ball stay at the crease before playing back to seamer and captain Jason Holder in the final over before lunch, and going lbw.
After the break, Rahane defied a near hour-long interruption for rain to move from 74 at lunch to triple figures – in the process putting on 33 for the seventh wicket with Mishra and a further 42 for the ninth wicket with tail-ender Umesh Yadav who made a breezy 19 from 14 deliveries, with four fours.
Rahane moved into the 90s with a six over extra cover off Chase before edging the same bowler past slip for four an over later, to bring up his landmark.
Chase, who started the day with two wickets, claimed all three wickets to fall in the second session. He removed Mishra to a catch at short leg by Chandrika at 458 for seven and off the very next delivery, bowled Mohammed Shami with a straight one that hit off-stump.
He claimed his final wicket when Umesh Yadav skied one to Holder at short mid-wicket.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA 1st Innings (overnight 358 for five)
KL Rahul c wkp Dowrich b Gabriel 158
S Dhawan c Bravo b Chase 27
C Pujara run out 46
*V Kohli c Chandrika b Chase 44
A Rahane not out 108
R Ashwin lbw b Bishoo 3
+W Saha lbw b Holder 47
A Mishra c Chandrika b Chase 21
Mohammed Shami b Chase 0
U Yadav c Holder b Chase 19
Extras (b8, lb3, w6, nb10) 27
TOTAL (9 wkts decl; 171.1 overs) 500
Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-208, 3-277, 4-310, 5-327, 6-425, 7-458, 8-458, 9-500.
To bat: I Sharma.
Bowling: Gabriel 28-8-62-1 (nb7), Cummins 26.4-4-87-0, Holder 34.2-12-72-1, Chase 36.1-4-121-5, Bishoo 35-5-107-1, Brathwaite 11-0-40-0.
Position: India lead by 304 runs.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, I Gould; TV – N Duguid.
