HYDERABAD: Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant hit contrasting half-centuries to put India on course for a sizeable first innings lead against the West Indies in the second Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.

The hosts were 308 for four at stumps, trailing the West Indies by just three runs after Rahane (75), and Pant (85), put together an unbeaten 146-run fifth-wicket stand in Hyderabad.

Paceman Umesh Yadav also played a part in India’s dominance with career-best figures of 6-88 that helped bowl out the West Indies for 311 early in the morning session.

In reply, India were in trouble at 162-4 with West Indies skipper Jason Holder taking two wickets, including his counterpart Virat Kohli’s prized scalp in the afternoon session.

But the right-left batting combination of Rahane and Pant then ensured a wicketless final session.

Rahane played a cautious knock to register his 15th Test fifty while Pant was his swashbuckling self, hitting 10 fours and two big sixes in 120 balls.

It was Pant’s second successive 50-plus score after his 92 in India’s first Test victory at Rajkot.

“We have two set batsmen... Very heartening to see the way Rishabh and Ajinkya have approached the innings because both have been patient and very disciplined,” India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar told reporters. “Ideally if we can bat another two sessions we will be in a great position.”

Teenage opener Prithvi Shaw — who launched his career with a spectacular debut century in Rajkot — also smashed 70 off 53 balls as India mounted a strong reply, only to lose to their way after lunch.

Shaw fell to left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican after hitting 11 fours and a six and Pujara went for 10 in the very next over off paceman Shannon Gabriel.

Kohli tried to steady the innings with some fluent strokeplay as he built a 60-run partnership with Rahane but was denied what could have been his 20th Test fifty.

Holder, who scored 52 in the first innings, trapped Kohli lbw for 45. He also bowled opener Lokesh Rahul for four in the morning session.

The West Indies were hit by injury to wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich early in the Indian innings, and were forced to replace him with substitute Jahmar Hamilton behind the stumps.

Hamilton was far from convincing and apart from a few misses down the leg side he dropped Pant on 24 off Gabriel.

Earlier, Yadav — who lost his pace partner in debutant Shardul Thakur due to a groin strain on day one — picked all the three West Indian wickets in the morning after the tourists started on 295-7.

Roston Chase top-scored with 106, his fourth Test ton. He was eventually bowled by Yadav.

“Umesh got the better of me today but I am still pleased with the century. It is my first century away from home, so it is a special one for me,” said Chase.

Umesh Yadav also got Gabriel on the next ball to become the first Indian paceman to get six wickets on home soil since Javagal Srinath’s 6-45 against New Zealand at Mohali in 1999.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 295-7):

K.C. Brathwaite lbw b Kuldeep 14

K.O.A. Powell c Jadeja b Ashwin 22

S.D. Hope lbw U. Yadav 36

S.O. Hetmyer lbw b Kuldeep 12

S.W. Ambris c Jadeja b Kuldeep 18

R.L. Chase b U. Yadav 106

S.O. Dowrich lbw U. Yadav 30

J.O. Holder c Pant b U. Yadav 52

D. Bishoo b U. Yadav 2

J. Warrican not out 8

S.T. Gabriel c Pant b U. Yadav 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-7) 11

TOTAL (all out, 101.4 overs) 311

FALL OF WKTS: 1-32, 2-52, 3-86, 4-92, 5-113, 6-182, 7-286, 8-296, 9-311.

BOWLING: U.T. Yadav 26.4-3-88-6; Thakur 1.4-0-9-0; Ashwin 24.2-7-49-1; Kuldeep Yadav 29-2-85-3; Jadeja

20-2-69-0.

INDIA (1st Innings):

K.L. Rahul b Holder 4

P.P. Shaw c Hetmyer b Warrican 70

C.A. Pujara c Hamilton b Gabriel 10

V. Kohli lbw b Holder 45

A.M. Rahane not out 75

R.R. Pant not out 85

EXTRAS (B-12, LB-2, NB-5) 19

TOTAL (for four wkts, 81 overs) 308

FALL OF WKTS: 1-61, 2-98, 3-102, 4-162.

TO BAT: R. Ashwin, R.A. Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, U.T. Yadav, S.N. Thakur.

BOWLING (to-date): Gabriel 13-1-73-1 (3nb); Holder 14-2-45-2 (2nb); Warrican 24-4-76-1; Chase 9-1-22-0; Bishoo 19-4-72-0; Brathwaite 2-0-6-0.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2018