By India Blooms News Service Jul 24, 2023
Trinidad: Kraigg Brathwaites watchful knock of 75 off 235 balls helped West Indies to chip away at the deficit, but was not enough as they are still trailing India by 209 runs with the second new ball just 5 overs away.
At the close of Day 3, West Indies were 229/5 in their first innings in reply to Indias 438 runs, with Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder batting on 37 and 11, respectively at Port of Spain here on Saturday.
West Indies were not in a hurry as they scored 143 runs in 67 overs after losing four wickets, and made the Indian bowlers toil hard to earn wickets in a rain-hit days play.
Debutant Mukesh Kumar claimed his maiden Test wicket by packing off debutant Kirk McKenzie in the first hour before the rains poured down, forcing an early lunch.
In the post-lunch session, Windies garnered just 57 runs in 34 overs, but spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up captain Brathwaite with a beauty castling him up.
Jermaine Blackwood started off with a boundary in the final session, but Ravindra Jadeja scalped him on Ajinkya Rahanes exquisite one-handed catch in slips.
Just when another partnership started to sew-up, Mohammad Siraj castled wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva at the stroke of rain break.
Play did resume, and the Athanaze-Holder duo ensured no further setbacks.
On Day 4, India will look to run through the remaining five batsmen and make their claim over the second Test stronger.
Brief scores: India 438 lead West Indies 229/5 (Kraigg Brathwaite 75, Alick Athanaze 37*; Ravindra Jadeja 2-37, Mukesh Kumar 1-35) by 209 runs.
(With UNI inputs)