India vs West Indies 2nd Test, Day 5: Roston Chase’s resilience gifts hosts unlikely draw

Roston Chase was adjudged Man of the Match for his magnificent show of character in the second innings.

The second match of the four-Test series between India and West Indies ended in a draw at Sabina Park, courtesy Shane Dowrich’s magnificent show of character in the second innings. The 24-year-old scored his maiden international hundred in only his second Test. With also a five-for to his name in the first innings, he was rightly adjudged Man of the Match for his heroic effort. However, with the hosts already one down in the series, they knew they had to up the ante to stay on course. And to do so, they elected to bat first, expecting to put up a mammoth first-innings total on the scoreboard. The tactic backfired as the visitors yet again put up a clinical bowling performance and bundled them out for 196, thanks to Ravichandran Ashwin’s stunning five-wicket haul. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs West Indies 2016, 2nd Test at Kingston

Knowing the pitch offered swing as well as spin, Indian batsmen played with utmost caution, leaving deliveries that were supposed to be left alone. KL Rahul, who replaced the injured Murali Vijay, applied himself sensibly and scored his third Test hundred, all outside India. He scored his career best 158 off 303 balls, inclusive of 15 fours and three sixes. The hallmark of his innings was his imperturbable technique. Hand-eye coordination, shoulders alignment with the toes, backlift coming down at a right angle, usage of bottom hand: he used all the Test ingredients that are required to build such remarkable knock.

While Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara were dismissed in 40s, it was the talismanic Ajinkya Rahane who provided the much needed impetus, scoring an unbeaten 108 off 237 balls, eventually giving India a lead of 304 runs.

With a huge lead, the hosts stared at another defeat. Nonetheless, rain interrupted play, leaving India very little time to skittle out the struggling West Indies.

All the same, they still managed to scalp four wickets on Day 4 in only 15.4 overs, with rain — yet again — putting them in a spot of bother.

India had 90 overs to pocket the last six wickets. Given West Indies’ dismal performance in the series, a victory was on the cards for them. However, as fate may have it, Jermaine Blackwood and Chase stood tall in the face of adversity and added 93 runs for the fifth wicket. India vs West Indies 2nd Test, Day 5 Live Updates

Blackwood, like he did in the first innings, went all guns blazing and smashed 63 runs off just 54 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.

The onus was then on wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich and Chase to continue the dominance. The duo stitched up 144-run stand, leaving the Indian bowlers helpless on a slow track.

It was leg-spinner Amit Mishra who provided a vital breakthrough, sending Dowrich to the pavilion on 74. India, then, needed only four wickets to win. But, the dynamics remained the same, as Chase built yet another partnership — this time with captain Jason Holder — to eventually draw the match. IND vs WI Live Streaming: Watch live telecast on Ozee.com

Such was the resilience that in 88.1 overs bowled on the ultimate day, West Indies lost only two wickets. However, Kohli’s men still lead the series 1-0, with two more games to play.

India, on the other hand, have never won two Tests in a row in the Caribbean. And, with this draw, the dream still remains…

Brief scores

West Indies 196 (Jermaine Blackwood 62, Marlon Samuels 37; Ravichandran Ashwin 5 for 52) and 388 for 6 (Roston Chase 137*, Shane Dowrich 74; Mohamed Shami 2 for 82) drew to India 500 for 9 (KL Rahul 158, Ajinkya Rahane 108*; Roston Chase 5 for 121)

Man of the Match: Roston Chase

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(Kaustubh S. Mayekar, a reporter at CricketCountry, played cricket at U-16 level. Like his idol Rahul Dravid, he often shadow-practises cricket shots. His Twitter handle is @kaumedy_)

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