India Hit Back To Dominate Day Two

India Hit Back To Dominate Day Two

Harbhajan Singh took two wickets as India secured a first-innings lead at Sabina Park

©REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

India 246 (Raina 82) & 91-3 (Dravid 45no) v
West Indies 172 (Barath 64)
First Test, Kingston, day two
Scorecard

India mounted an impressive fightback to close day two of the first Test against the West Indies 164 runs ahead and looking in control of the match.

They had been dismissed on day one for 246 but hit back to bowl the West Indies out for 172 and then reached stumps on 91 for three in their second innings.

The day began with India striking early when Ramnaresh Sarwan was trapped in front offering no stroke to Ishant Sharma for three but some solid accumulation mixed with dashing strokeplay from Adrian Barath (64) and Darren Bravo (18) put the West Indies in a better position.

Bravo fell when he edged Praveen Kumar to Mahendra Singh Dhoni while the medium pacer had already bagged his first Test victim when Barath, forced to play outside the off stump, also edged to Dhoni at the beginning of an outstanding spell of probing bowling.

Brendan Nash (1) was Kumar's third victim caught behind the wicket when he was pouched by Suresh Raina although Carlton Baugh belied his team's tricky position by hitting the last ball befodhhgfdfghfre lunch over long on for six.

He failed to make any more than 27 before he was caught by close fielder Murali Vijay off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh, who had been getting the ball to turn and bounce appreciably all day - as had leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

The pair of them finished off the remainder of the West Indian innings relatively painlessly, with one more wicket for Sharma, as Shivnarine Chanderpaul (23), Darren Sammy (1), Fidel Edwards (7) and Devendra Bishoo (4) offered little resistance.

Neither did Vijay, although he was unlucky to be trapped in front by a delivery that kept low from Ravi Rampaul for nought.

Abhinav Mukund then made 25 in 75 balls but spin proved his undoing when he was caught by Baugh off Bishoo and then Sammy had VVS Laxman caught and bowled for nought.

However, Rahul Dravid - dropped on six by Sammy - made his way to stumps on 45 not out having faced 125 balls and Virat Kohli was also showing considerable application and skill to make 14 in 42 deliveries.

Half-centuries on the opening day from Raina (82) and Harbhajan (70) helped take India from 85 for six to their eventual first-innings score and the West Indies closed on 34 for one.

© Cricket World 2011