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Rahane ton, India declare with 304 lead

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Tea West Indies 196 and 0 for 0 trail India 500 for 9 decl. (Rahul 158, Rahane 108*, Chase 5-121) by 304 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Ajinkya Rahane was very good on the back foot © Associated Press

A Test match can be a bit like a puppy dog. And great players can lead it wherever they want. This West Indian XI does not have great players. They have great triers. Captain Jason Holder and coach Phil Simmons put the men on defence – understandable considering the opposition had a fat lead. Despite their best efforts, the only thing that seemed to threaten India’s chances in Kingston was the weather. A tropical storm has been forecast to hit the region on the fourth day.

Ajinkya Rahane found himself part of a pattern, one that has been central to India’s success in the Caribbean. They have batted nine-and-a-half sessions in this series. And a set batsman had been out there every time. Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin began the trend in Antigua. It continued with KL Rahul yesterday and Rahane today, as he got to his fifty with a fierce square cut to the third man boundary. It was a shot he used often and his back-foot play overall was excellent.

India weren’t pushing themselves to full tilt though. Not when the mountains on the horizon were obscured by heavy cloud. Not when the rain came seven overs after lunch and spirited 52 minutes out of the game. Not even when offspinning allrounder Roston Chase took two wickets in two balls when play resumed. With a high-arm action resembling Nathan Lyon, he was able to get the ball to dip on Amit Mishra and have him caught at short leg and received some help from Mohammed Shami the next ball when he played inside the line and was bowled.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, sipping tea in the dressing room, was still in his training gear. He was clearly not thinking about the declaration. Perhaps Rahane approaching a Test hundred away from home had something to do with that. And with only Nos. 10 and 11 for company he began to farm the strike. This is where West Indies’ discipline was paying off. They had given away only 142 runs in 46.1 overs. They made India bat long. Every ball they bowled was one less than what their batsmen need to face. With more than two days left, saving this Test will be incredibly hard, but then again with inclement weather around, the possibility can’t be ruled out.

Rahane squirted an outside edge between slip and the wicketkeeper in the 170th over to reach his third ton in four innings, captured on camera by the coach Anil Kumble and celebrated vigorously by his team-mates. The locals at Sabina Park had something to cheer too when Chase induced a top edge from Umesh Yadav to wrap up his first five-for in his second Test. The 24-year old had a sheepish grin on his face when he conceded he hadn’t liked going without a wicket on debut yesterday. Now he was leading West Indies off.

India had pushed their lead over 300 – thanks to a lovely six over long-on from Rahane – and Kohli said that was enough. West Indies were looking at an uncomfortable half-an-hour of batting before tea, but they were saved the trouble when another shower came by and ended the session’s play.

Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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