Rahane's 81 saves India the blues after top-order collapse

Fri, Aug 23, '19

West Indies fought back late in the day after two half-century stands had taken India to relative safety following a fiery opening spell that had pinned the visitors to 25 for 3 inside eight overs. Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul led the immediate fightback with a 68-run stand, and Rahane put on 82 with Hanuma Vihari as India dominated briefly in the middle session. But Kemar Roach, the architect of the early collapse, returned to cause trouble with the old ball and, alongside opening partner Shannon Gabriel, helped reduce India to 203 for 6.

However, the delicious ebb and flow of the game was cut short. Intermittent rainfall meant a 15-minute delayed start, an early finish to the last two sessions, and ultimately, only 68.5 overs of play. Left-handers Rishabh Pant (20*) and Ravindra Jadeja (3*), at the back end of India's elongated batting order for this Test, were unbeaten at stumps.

The resultant moisture from the rain is what had prompted Jason Holder to elect to bowl, and his bowlers delivered immediately with a devastating opening spell. In a largely cloudy first hour, Roach was, by some distance, the bowler who bowled the fullest length and was rewarded for it. With steep climb from a length, he pinned the openers to the crease, and it didn't take him long to get one of them to poke with hard hands, although Mayank Agarwal had no choice but, against a ball holding its line after coming in. He got a thin outside edge, as did Cheteshwar Pujara four balls later. India's No. 3 was rooted to his leg stump guard and pushing away from the body, although based on the off stump line, he too had little choice.

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