The final session on day three of the second Test was washed off due to rain after Ajinkya Rahane helped India gain a first innings lead of 304 runs and pile more pressure on the struggling West Indies unit.
Rahane (108*) carved out his seventh Test hundred to strengthen India's hold on the game as the visitors declared their innings at 500 for nine in response to West Indies' 196.
Rahane's gritty century was followed by the declaration in the post lunch session but intermittent rain ensured not a single ball was bowled for the remainder of the day.
Early tea was called after a second rain interruption. Post lunch, Amit Mishra (21) had joined Rahane and the leg spinner looked for some quick runs, smacking Devendra Bishoo (1-107) for six. The pacers were brought on almost immediately to block any plans of quick scoring on part of the batsmen. Even so, the 450-mark came up in the 161st over, as also the 250-lead. Thereafter, rain came down, as the threat of tropical storm Earl still looms large on the match.
After an hour, the game restarted with just about 25 minutes to play until tea. In this interim, West Indies got a couple quick wickets, as Roston Chase (5-121) removed Mishra, caught at short leg, and then bowled Mohammed Shami (0) first ball. Yadav avoided the hat trick, even as Rahane tried to speed up to his hundred, smacking Chase for a six.
The session had been extended, as Kraigg Brathwaite (0-40) came on to bowl, and both Rahane and Yadav went in for quick runs. In doing so, the Indian vice-captain completed his hundred off 231 balls. The latter though was out, hitting the ball high in the air and was caught at short midwicket, as Chase completed his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
India declared their innings closed thereafter, leaving about 40 minutes for the West Indies to play out before the break, but rain intervened again and an early tea was taken.
In the morning, the hosts had come out firing on the morning of day three, as Jason Holder (1-72) troubled both Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha (47).
Starting from overnight 358/5, they looked to get settled in and push the lead as further as possible, while keeping in the possibility of rain later in the match as a tropical storm builds up in the Caribbean Sea. The day started bright and sunny though, and Rahane quickly got to his Test fifty off 93 balls. Thereafter, the 50-partnership for the sixth wicket came up off 116 deliveries.
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Shanon Gabriel (1-62) and Miguel Cummins (0-87) bowled well in the first hour of play, as the West Indies continued their ploy of bowling tight and not giving away easy runs to the batsmen. Only 34 runs came in the first hour of the morning, and thereafter Bishoo and Holder came on to bowl. That is when Rahane's troubles started as the skipper mixed his incoming and out-swinging deliveries well, and troubled the set batsman.
Rahane was beaten a couple times, and there were other interesting LBW shouts against him, but he stayed put at the crease. He was frustrated though, and the good spell induced an edge in the 147th over off Bishoo, but Rajendra Chandrika dropped him at backward point. He was on 65* at that time, and yet managed to survive this period of play and went into the break unbeaten, trying to break the shackles with two boundaries in the 148th over.
The 400-mark had come up for India in the 141st over, as well as the lead crossed the 200-mark. However, the effects could be seen at the other end too, as the run scoring was tightened up further and Saha was in some trouble too. Holder then finally got some reward for bowling tight, as he trapped the keeper-batsman LBW just before lunch, a first wicket in this series. Saha was dismissed just short of his fifty, as their 98-run stand was finally broken.
On day one, Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 5-52, his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Test as West Indies were bundled out for 196 runs in the first innings. On day two, Lokesh Rahul scored 158 runs, his 3rd Test hundred, as India took control of the match. The visitors had won the first Test in Antigua by an innings and 92 runs.
That India's ace spinner Ashwin just had to bowl eight
overs summed up how pacer-friendly the relaid Eden wicket was as it had variable bounce and carry.
In reply, it was another top-order collapse barring Kohli who hit seven delightful boundaries and shared 48 runs with Rohit which took India's lead past 200.
There were about 25,000 spectators in the stands, the best in the ongoing Test, who did not mind the extreme heat and humidity. Kohli gave them lots to cheer for by effortlessly guiding the ball away in his solid knock.
Kohli had a close shave when he was yet to open his account. The Indian skipper was hit on his front pad but replays showed the ball was going down the leg and fortunately for Kohli the umpire ruled out the loud appeals.
Earlier in the fourth ball after lunch, Henry gave the breakthrough producing a beautiful out-swinger as M Vijay (7) once again became the Kiwi youngster's victim.
Cheteshwar Pujara (4), Shikhar Dhawan (17) got out LBW while Ajinkya Rahane (1) also could not click, mistiming the shot while trying to pull Henry.
Dhawan had an anxious stay at the crease and was hit twice on his thumb by Boult's rising deliveries.
India lead the three-match series 1-0 after their 197-run win in the Kanpur Test.
