West Indies v India 3rd Test, Day 2 – 5 Memorable Moments

Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha added 213 runs for the 6th wicket to give India a fighting score on a track which wasn’t really most suited for batting courtesy the spongy bounce and slow outfield. However, Day 2 belongs to the hosts West Indies as they bowled out India soon after the Ashwin-Saha partnership was broken and their batsmen started off well in their reply to the Indian total.

At stumps on Day 2, West Indies were poised well at 107 for the loss of one wicket and trail by 246 runs. Kraigg Brathwaite ended the day unbeaten on 53. After 234 runs on the first day, the second day produced 226 for six wickets.

1. Patient game:

West Indies started off Day 2 with the plan to bowl outside the off-stump, with a lot of fielders saving runs on the off-side. Their strike bowlers spent their energy bowling on that side of the wicket, hoping for inpatient shots from the two well-set batsmen at the crease.

The plan continued for the first hour of play but the Indian batting duo of Wriddhiman Saha – Ravichandran Ashwin was patient enough to keep leaving the ball outside off. After seeing through the initial phase where there is maximum movement they cut loose and gathered some runs.

Also read – West Indies v India 3rd Test, Day 2 – Statistical Highlights

2. 339/5 to 353 all out:

Apart from the partnership between Saha and Ashwin, it was a horrible story for the Indian batsmen in the first innings. West Indies took the first five Indian wickets for 126 runs, and in the second session on Day 2, they ran through the last five wickets for the cost of only 14 runs.

India looked on course for 400, with a score line of 339/5. But they tumbled like a deck of cards after the wicket of Saha. West Indies pace attack charged at the tail with short deliveries and they couldn’t survive.

3. Miguel Cummins’s maiden wicket:

Ravindra Jadeja had a flat-footed slash at a delivery angled across him by Miguel Cummins, as it took the outside edge and carried to the safe hands of the wicket-keeper. This gave Cummins is his first wicket in Tests cricket.

Having been patient for 281 balls for his first Test wicket, Cummins took another couple of wickets in 10 balls with Ashwin and Ishant Sharma fending awkwardly at short balls after the dismissal of Jadeja.

Also check out – Twitter Reactions: Ashwin, Saha hit centuries as WI batsmen get off to a good start

4. Saha’s race from 77 to 93:

Wriddhiman Saha was the aggressor of the two in the partnership as he took the attack to the opposition after the first hour’s play. He swiftly changed gears after having scored 8 runs off the first 65 balls he faced in the match.

Ashwin remained unbeaten on 99 as the teams took Lunch, meanwhile, Saha raced his way from 77 to 93 in no time. His innings was a pure blend of aggression and solid defence. After Lunch, he became only the fourth India wicketkeeper to score an overseas Test century.

5. KL Rahul’s run out:

The Indian bowlers didn’t find immediate success as West Indies walked out to bat and when an edge from Leon Johnson was dropped by KL Rahul at third slip things looked to get worse. But Rahul made amends with a direct hit from midwicket to run Johnson out.

But it was not before West Indies had put together their first fifty-run opening stand in the last 26 innings. Johnson worked the ball few feet away from mid-wicket and tried to steal a run. Rahul had just one stump to aim at and he side-armed it onto the furniture.

Also read – WI v IND, 3rd Test, Day 2 Review: West Indies take control

It was the only break-through India got on the day as the West Indies had another good partnership of 48 for the second wicket between Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite.