TAROUBA, Trinidad, CMC – Teenager Shubman Gill punished West Indies A with his second first class double hundred, leaving the hosts with a huge victory target and a battle for survival in today’s last day of the final four-day “Test”.
The 19-year-old lashed an unbeaten 204 and captain Hanuma Vihari added 118 not out as India A piled up an imposing 365 for four declared in their second innings at the Brian Lara Stadium on the penultimate day here yesterday.
Set an imposing 373 to win, West Indies A safely navigated the 15 overs possible to end on 37 without loss with left-hander Jeremy Solozano unbeaten on 20. They require a further 336 to win and avoid a series whitewash after losing the first two matches.
Resuming the day mired in trouble at 23 for three, India A added a further 27 runs before losing nightwatchman Shahbaz Nadeem for 13 in the morning’s ninth over, playing back to off-spinner Akim Fraser’s first ball and getting bowled by an enormous off-break.
However, that dismissal was the last sighting of success for a frustrated West Indies A as Gill and Vihari plundered the attack in adding 315 in an unbroken fourth wicket stand.
Gill, resuming the morning on five, punched 19 fours and two sixes in an innings lasting 248 balls in nearly 5-½ hours while Vihari faced 221 balls in just short of 4-¾ hours and counted 10 fours and a six.
India A reached lunch on 190 for four with Gill completing his hundred to be unbeaten on 101 and Vihari on 51, and the pair kept Windies A wicket-less in the second session while adding a further 88 runs.
By tea, Gill had reached 146 with Vihari closing in on his 18th first class on 92, and both completed their landmarks in the final session.
First, Vihari reached triple figures with a searing straight drive for four off fast bowler Chemar Holder (2-88) in the fourth over after the interval.
And the right-handed Gill, who has already played two One-Day Internationals, brought up his double hundred in the first over after the final drinks break when he steered part-time seamer Jermaine Blackwood to backward point for a couple.
