PUNE (India), Oct 24: Opener Chris Gayle returned to form with a swashbuckling 154 as West Indies amassed 297 for two wickets on the opening day of a three-day tour match against national champions Indian Railways here Thursday.

The left-hander cracked 23 fours and two sixes in his maiden three-figure score on the tour of India, where West Indies have already lost the three-Test series 2-0.

But Gayle’s knock at the top of the order would give them a boost ahead of the third and final Test in Kolkata from Oct 30 to Nov 3.

He shared a 71-run stand for the first wicket with Wavell Hinds (50) and a mammoth 225 for the second with Daren Ganga, who was unbeaten on 66 at close of play.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle b Harvinder 154

W.W. Hinds c Martin b Parida 50

D. Ganga not out 66

M.N. Samuels not out 0

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-1, NB-17) 27

TOTAL (for two wkts, 92 overs) 297

FALL OF WKTS: 1-71, 2-296.

TO BAT: R.R. Sarwan, R.O. Hinds, R.D. Jacobs, M.V. Nagamootoo, G.R. Breese, D.B. Powell, C.E. Cuffy.

BOWLING (to-date): Harvinder Singh 11-2-37-1; Zakir Hussain 10-1-41-0; Yadav 15-3-35-0; Kartik 29-7-78-0; Parida 19-6-62-1; Tejinder Pal Singh 6-1-25-0; Khanolkar 2-0-9-0.