India reach 68/3 at lunch vs West Indies
North Sound: Opener KL Rahul put up a gritty fight with a circumspect Ajinkya Rahane as India partially recovered from a top-order collapse to reach 68 for 3 at lunch on the opening day of the first World Championship Test match against the West Indies.
Rahul, who had a wretched 18 months in the red-ball format, before this Test match, was composed during his unbeaten 37 after India were reduced to 25 for 3 inside the first eight overs on a track that offered bounce and lateral movement for new ball bowlers Kemar Roach (2/12 in 6 overs) and Shannon Gabriel (1/26 in 7 overs). Mayank Agarwal (5), the ever-dependable Cheteshwar Pujara (2) and skipper Virat Kohli (9) were back in the pavilion in the first hour after Jason Holder put the visitors in on a bouncy track. Rahul (37 batting, 73 balls) and vice-captain Rahane (10 batting, 43 balls) added 42 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket and stemmed the rot going into the lunch break after 24 overs were bowled during the opening session. Agarwal got one from Roach, which held its line and the opener didn’t fully commit forward with resultant nick being gobbled by Shai Hope behind the stumps. The dogged Pujara didn’t last long as he got a delivery from Roach that moved a shade away after pitching with India’s No. 3 lunging forward. The edge was taken low down by Hope. Skipper Kohli relishes such adverse situations and tough conditions but it wasn’t his day despite a promising start that included a drive past point and another past mid-on. However, Gabriel’s ball, one that climbed on him from short of length, saw Kohli fend awkwardly, only to be caught at gully by debutant Shamarh Brooks. At 25 for 3, it could have been worse but a determined Rahul put his head down and left a lot of deliveries outside off-stump as Rahane also defended dourly at the other end, waiting for Roach and Gabriel’s first spell to end. It was only when back-up pacer Miguel Cummins came into operation that Rahul collected three of his four boundaries — a cut and a couple of off-drives. Not for once did Rahane look comfortable during the first session and both his boundaries were freak ones. The first was a thickish outside edge that bounced short of second slip before going for four runs. The second was a pull-shot and he wasn’t entirely in control. However, the best part was that he hung in there.
Earlier, India skipper Virat Kohli doesn’t mind getting hit and that too hard immediately after he takes guard. The world’s number one Test batsman gave his views on the ‘chin music’ that batsmen are often subjected to by fast bowlers, something that became quite a topic of discussion after Steve Smith was felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer during the second Ashes Test in London. (PTI)