Cummins enters record books with 95-minute duck

INDIAN paceman Mohammed Shami celebrates after dismissing West Indies’ skipper Jason Holder during the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.—AFP

NORTH SOUND (Antigua): West Indies tailender Miguel Cummins booked an unwanted place in cricket’s record books on Saturday when he faced 45 deliveries and spent 95 minutes at the crease without scoring a run before he was dismissed on the third day of the first Test against India.

It was the second longest innings in Test cricket for someone being dismissed without scoring.

That dubious record is still held by New Zealander Geoff Allott, who survived for 101 minutes before falling for nought against South Africa in Auckland in 1999.

India’s bowlers spent most of the morning session at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium labouring to claim the final two wickets of the home side’s first innings as West Indies captain Jason Holder found sturdy support from Cummins in putting on 41 for the ninth wicket before they were eventually dismissed for 222.

Having slipped from 174 for five to 179 for eight late on day two courtesy of the persistent Ishant Sharma, India would have been expecting to finish the job swiftly at the start of play.

However, they did not count on the defiance of Cummins, who hung around with Holder for an hour-and-a-half without getting off the mark.

When the partnership was finally broken — Holder caught behind off Mohammed Shami for 39 — Cummins saw last man Shannon Gabriel pick up two singles immediately.

Attempting to get his first runs though, the fast-medium bowler, who bats left-handed, was bowled having a swing at Ravindra Jadeja to give the left-arm spinner his second wicket of the innings.

Seeking to work their team into a dominant position by the end of the day, the Indian opening pair of K.L. Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were resuming the afternoon session on 14 without loss in their second innings, an overall lead of 89 runs.

Late on day two a late burst by senior seamer Ishant Sharma earned him a five-wicket haul and reduced the West Indies to 189-8 at the end of second day.

Ten days away from his 31st birthday, the gangling Sharma ended the day with 5-42 off 12 overs, figures which were enhanced considerably in the final half-hour of a long day when he was single-handedly responsible for the home side losing three wickets for five runs to tilt a fairly even contest very much in favour of the tourists.

He dismissed Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Kemar Roach in the space of 13 deliveries to change the complexion of the West Indies innings from the relative comfort of 174 for five.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 297 (A.M. Rahane 81, R.A. Jadeja 58, K.L. Rahul 44; K.A.J. Roach 4-66, S.T. Gabriel 3-71).

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 189-8):

K.C. Brathwaite c and Sharma 14

J.D. Campbell b Shami 23

S.S.J. Brooks c Rahane b Jadeja 11

D.M. Bravo lbw Bumrah 18

R.L. Chase c Rahul b Sharma 48

S.D. Hope c Pant b Sharma 24

S.O. Hetmyer c and b Sharma 35

J.O. Holder c Pant b Shami 39

K.A.J. Roach c Kohli b Sharma 0