3rd Test: Ashwin-Saha partnership pulls India after Day 1 

Ashwin
Ravichandran scored his second fifty of the series against West Indies at Darren Sammy Stadium. Image Source:WICB

Internet Desk: R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha put on 108 runs for the 6th wicket and helped India to get to a respectable total on day one of the third Test against the West Indies in St. Lucia. At the Darren Sammy Stadium, the visitors finished at 234/5 (90 overs) at stumps, after the hosts had dominated the day and made good on their decision to bowl first.

Post-tea, Ashwin (74*, 190 balls, 4 fours) and Saha (46*, 122 balls, 4 fours) looked to get things going again, and build a partnership that could dig India out of a huge hole. And while they succeeded in doing so, there were quite a few hiccups along the way. In the 55th over, three overs after play resumed, Jason Holder (0-27) swung a delivery in sharply and Saha shouldered arms, only for the ball to hit the flap of his pad. Umpire Nigel Llong deemed it not out, with the batsman on 1* at that time.

In the very next over, on 26*, Ashwin was almost caught at forward short leg, the ball just dropping short, with Roston Chase (2-38) the unlucky bowler. Chances kept coming for the West Indies, and the biggest miss was in the 63rd over, when Ashwin was caught at point off Shannon Gabriel (1-68), but got a reprieve as the bowler had stepped on the side-crease and it was deemed a no ball. He was on 35* then.

India’s 150-mark came up in the 65th over, but the scoring rate was down to a trickle. The two batsmen didn’t mind that and continued to grind out their innings, with the 50-partnership coming off 155 balls. Saha got away twice thereafter, first a run-out chance in the 79th over when he was halfway down the pitch but the fielder couldn’t get a direct throw in. Then, in the 82nd over as the new ball was taken, Alzarri Joseph (2-38) induced an edge only for the ball to die down inches away from keeper Shane Dowrich.

Ashwin then celebrated his 7th Test half-century off 157 balls, and the 200-mark came up in the 84th over. The duo struck some exquisite boundaries towards the end of day’s play providing a late flourish to the total, and added 104 runs without the loss of a wicket in the final session, which otherwise could have looked embarrassing for the visitors.

Earlier, after lunch, Rohit Sharma (9) and Ajinkya Rahane (35 balls, 133 balls, 4 fours) came out to resume their partnership, and were looking to launch a fight back. The former lasted only 12 balls after the break though, edging Joseph behind on a delivery that swung away just a touch from the off-stump.

The immediate breakthrough put the West Indies in complete command of proceedings as Ashwin came out to bat. The two batsmen took their time thereafter, and didn’t look in any hurry whatsoever to score runs. This approach allowed the hosts to work on their plans and execute them without hassle. And the bowlers built up constant pressure and didn’t allow any easy runs to come by.

The 100-mark came up for India in the 33rd over, but the first hour after lunch yielded only 35 runs. Over the course of the second hour’s play, the scoring rate almost ground to a halt as only another 18 runs were added. And that too with the additional loss of a wicket as Chase bowled Rahane in the 50th over, the batsman completely misjudging the flight. He had added 39 runs with Ashwin for the 5th wicket, with the runs trickling in at just 1.65 per over.

In the morning, West Indies won the toss and elected to field given the lively pitch here. They made two changes, bringing in Leon Johnson for dropped opener Rajendra Chandrika and then opting for 19-year-old pacer Alzarri Joseph in place of leg spinner Devendra Bishoo. India made three changes from the Jamaica Test, bringing in Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for Cheteshwar Pujara, Amit Mishra and Umesh Yadav, respectively.

Gabriel and Joseph then started proceedings with the new ball against Shikhar Dhawan (1) and KL Rahul (50 runs, 65 balls, 6 fours). The former started off with couple loose deliveries that allowed Rahul to get going easily, and was in complete contrast to what was to come later on. Soon enough, the two worked up their pace and their plans bore fruit.

They used the short ball to good effect, particularly Gabriel as he squeezed Dhawan for room down the leg side. The left-handed opener looked to pull one in the 3rd over, and edged to the keeper Shane Dowrich. Surprisingly then, skipper Virat Kohli (3) came out to bat and was tested immediately with a mix of short and moving deliveries. It was a bold move, but it didn’t work as Kohli edged a rising delivery from the young Joseph to first slip where Darren Bravo completed a regulation catch.

India were in all sorts of trouble then, but Rahul added 58 runs for the 3rd wicket with Rahane who came in at no.4. The Karnataka opener continued his good run of form, and scored a chanceless first Test half-century. He was comfortable against the short ball attack from Gabriel-Joseph and then negotiated Miguel Cummins (0-36) and Holder easily as well. All in all, he perhaps played one false shot through his stay and even then was never in danger of losing his wicket.

He helped bring up the 50-mark for India in the 13th over, and his 50-partnership with Rahane came off 68 balls. Thereafter he reached his fifty off 64 deliveries, as Chase came on to bowl. But off the very next ball, in the 20th over, fell to the West Indies’ trap, as he hit straight to Kraigg Brathwaite (0-20) at short fine leg.

Rahane had looked uncomfortable against Holder again, but tightened up his game to survive until lunch. Rohit had come out to bat thereafter, and faced a couple testing overs from Gabriel. But he too survived the little phase before the break, even as the visitors were struggling at 87/3.

India lead the four-match series 1-0, after winning the first Test in Antigua by an innings and 92 runs. The second Test in Jamaica was drawn.