Debasis Sen, Kingston(Jamaica) : It needed a brilliance from the lower order West Indies batting to save the second test match against India at Sabina Park. Roston Chase playing in only his second test match struck his maiden Test century and frustrated the Indian bowlers as West Indies reached 388/6 (104 overs) at stumps on day five of the second Test in Jamaica. The match ended in a draw as he scored 137* (269 balls, 15 fours, 1 six) and put on three partnerships that defied the Indian attack. The visitors retained their 1-0 lead in the series.
Post tea, only 29 overs remained to be bowled as India looked to make use of the new ball. But they were never happy with the proceedings, complaining often to the umpires about the shape of the ball, even though the ball wasn’t changed. Chase and Jason Holder (64*, 99 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) meanwhile were happy to stay at the wicket and not play at as many deliveries as possible, putting on 103 unbeaten runs for the 7th wicket.
They were helped in this endeavour by the Indian pacers, in particular Ishant Sharma (1-56) who bowled short and wide repeatedly. The spinners couldn’t get much purchase from the pitch either, which was shorn of day five characteristics and the batsmen didn’t have much difficulty in negotiation the Indian bowling.
Holder and Chase brought up their 100-partnership off 193 balls, and the 350-mark came up earlier in the 93rd over. Later Holder brought up his fifty off 82 balls with a six, taking this match’s tally to 22 in total, joint-highest for a Test in the Caribbean with West Indies-South Africa at St. Kitt’s in 2010. The two teams shook hands with 35 minutes left before the scheduled close of play.
Earlier, Chase put on 144 runs with Shane Dowrich (74 runs, 114 balls, 6 fours, 1 six), as the hosts made a stand to save this match. Post-lunch, they had looked to bat on for time, but were not subdued. They looked to attack the Indian bowlers who erred in line and length. First up, Dowrich reached his 3rd Test fifty off 78 balls and in doing so brought up the 100-partnership with Chase off 162 balls. The West Indies’ 250-mark also came up within an hour’s play, in the 54th over.
Dowrich was given out LBW after the break by umpire Ian Gould off Amit Mishra (2-90), despite the fact that he had a massive inside-edge. The batsman left shaking his head, but Chase made good on his promise, and duly reached his maiden Test hundred off 175 balls. He had Holder for company, and by tea time the two weren’t looking uncomfortable at the crease at all as the West Indies crossed the 300-mark in the 79th over.
India did take the new ball immediately after the 80th over, but that too didn’t provide them any breakthroughs, as the hosts negated the lead and went ahead thereafter. There are now 29 overs remaining in the match, for the visitors to force a result.
In the morning, starting at overnight 48/4, Chase and Jermaine Blackwood (63 runs, 54 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) came out with a plan to defy the Indian bowlers. There had been no rain since play on day four had been called off, and not a cloud was in sight as the sun shone brightly at Sabina Park. The visitors started off with Mohammed Shami (2-82) and Mishra, but Blackwood attacked them both and hit them out of the attack.
Ishant and Umesh Yadav (0-44) were then deployed, but Blackwood continued attacking them too. The former bowled a bit wider outside of the off-stump in a bid to keep things tight, while Yadav used the short-ball approach against him. It didn’t work as Blackwood smacked his second fifty in the Test off only 41 balls, bringing it up in the 31st over as 79 runs came in the first hour’s play. West Indies also crossed the 100-mark earlier in the 25th over.
The dup put 50 off just 54 balls and it seemed as if for once the hosts’ batting would come good. R Ashwin (1-114) then was finally introduced into the attack in the 28th over of the innings, with skipper Virat Kohli opting to hold him back earlier in the session. Blackwood attacked him too, hitting a straight six in his second over, but Ashwin got his revenge as he squeezed the batsman for runs bowling from round the wicket. The plan worked and Cheteshwar Pujara too a brilliant diving catch at forward short leg in the 34th over to send Blackwood back to the pavilion.
Chase was then joined in by Dowrich, and the two overcame some miscommunication early in the innings to defy the Indian bowling further. After taking his maiden five-wicket haul earlier in the match, Chase then reached his maiden Test fifty off 84 balls and then opened up to play some attacking strokes against Mishra, who bowled a predominantly leg-stump line.
The Indian bowling didn’t really trouble the duo as they brought up the 50-partnership off 82 balls, and the 200-mark came up for the West Indies in the 50th over. Yadav and Shami did get the ball to reverse later in the session, but couldn’t get another success before the lunch break as the two batsmen looked comfortable at the crease.
On day one, R Ashwin picked up 5-52, his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Test as West Indies were bundled out for 196 runs in the first innings. On day two, KL Rahul scored 158 runs, his 3rd Test hundred.
On day three, Ajinkya Rahane scored 108*, his 7th Test hundred, as India finished at 500/9d and rain washed out the final session thereafter. West Indies were 48/4 in their second innings on day four, as tropical storm Earl washed out play barring a 30-minute session.
The visitors had won the first Test in Antigua by an innings and 92 runs. Both teams now travel to St Lucia to play the third test match of the series.