Pant, Rahane put India in driver’s seat
Young Shaw regrets playing a ‘silly shot’ after falling for a respectable 70
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Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant hit unbeaten half-centuries to hand India the advantage against West Indies on day two of the second Test in Hyderabad yesterday.
The hosts were 308 for four at stumps, trailing the West Indies by three runs. Rahane, on 75, and Pant, on 85, have put on an unbeaten 146-run fifth-wicket stand in Hyderabad.
Paceman Umesh Yadav also played a part in India’s domination with his career-best figures of 6-88 that helped bowl out the West Indies for 311 early in the morning session.
In reply, India were in trouble at 162-4 with West Indies skipper Jason Holder taking two wickets including his counterpart Virat Kohli’s prized scalp in the afternoon session. The right-left batting combination of Rahane and Pant ensured a wicketless final session with their contrasting batting.
Rahane played a cautious knock to register his 15th Test fifty while Pant was his swashbuckling self as he hit 10 fours and 2 big sixes in his 120-ball stay so far.
Teenage opener Prithvi Shaw also smashed 70 off 53 balls as India mounted a strong reply only to lose to their way after lunch.
Shaw fell to left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican after hitting 11 fours and a six and Pujara went for 10 in the very next over off paceman Shannon Gabriel. “I wasn’t trying
West Indies (first innings) Overnight 295 for seven wickets
106 2 to hit the ball too hard, just trying to place it in gaps,” the 18-year-old Shaw said. “(But) I played a silly shot to get out. I hit it on the up and didn’t get close to the delivery. I will try not to repeat this mistake again.”
The West Indies were hit by injury to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich early in the Indian innings, and replaced him with substitute Jahmar Hamilton behind the stumps.
Earlier, Yadav picked all the three West Indian wickets to fall in the morning after the tourists started the day on 295-7.