Captain Virat Kohli’s fighting 76 and opener Mayank Agarwal’s half century helped India reach 264 for 5 on Day 1 to take a slight edge over the West Indies in the second match of its World Test Championships campaign.
Put into bat on a tricky Sabina Park pitch, India was reduced to 46 for 2 in the opening session but Kohli and Agarwal (55) work hard to rebuild the innings with a 69-run stand for the third wicket.
Kohli then had another 49-run partnership with first Test centurion Ajinkya Rahane (24) from 19 overs for the fourth wicket as India picked up the scoring rate in the second session which saw 85 runs being added from 29 overs.
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But the two big wickets -- that of Kohli and Rahane -- in the final session put the brakes on India just when the visiting team was beginning to consolidate and push to a position of strength. Kohli faced 163 deliveries from which he hit 10 boundaries.
At the draw of stumps, Rishabh Pant and Hanuma Vihari were batting on 27 and 42 respectively, having stitched 62 runs from 17.5 overs for the unfinished sixth wicket. A lot will depend on the duo whether India can post a big total on the second day or not.
A relatively responsible Pant took to the crease, batting sensibly during his 64-ball unbeaten knock of 27, hitting two fours and six while Vihari was going strong in his 80-ball unbeaten innings which had eight boundaries in it.
Kohli, who worked hard in the first and second sessions, was beginning to impose himself on the West Indian bowlers and looked set for a bigger innings. But he fell to a peach of a delivery bowled by his West Indian counterpart Jason Holder. The delivery, on a perfect length, pitched around the off and jagged away enough to take the outside edge of Kohli’s bat and go through to the keeper.
The Indian captain was lucky earlier when, on 55, as replays suggested he could have been out in the 62nd over bowled by Kemar Roach (1/47) but the West Indies had exhausted its quota of two reviews by then.
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Rahane was out in the first over after tea as he dangled his bat outside off-stump for Jahmar Hamilton to take the catch. The India vice-captain was quite at ease during his stay at the middle but could not convert the start this time.
It was opener Agarwal who laid the foundation of the Indian fightback with a solid batting display. Playing in his fourth Test, the 28-year-old reached to his fifty as he edged a Roach delivery to the boundary ropes.
Agarwal fell inside the first hour of the post-lunch session after scoring his third career half century. His cut shot in the 41st over went straight to first slip fielder Rahkeem Cornwall. His 55 came from 127-balls, featuring seven boundaries.
Kohli took time to settle down as he took 16 balls to open his account during the morning session. The West Indies bowling attack tested the Indian skipper, with debutant off-spinner Cornwall (1/41) leading the charge.
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Kohli gained in confidence as the match wore on and hit two exquisite cover drives towards the end of the second session. He reached his 22nd career half century off a single in the 55th over bowled by Shannon Gabriel.
Earlier, India laboured its way to 72 for 2 from 30 overs after opener KL Rahul (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (6) were dismissed cheaply in the opening session.
Pujara struggled again as he took 15 deliveries to open his account and was finally out for 6 (off 25 deliveries), giving Cornwall his first Test wicket.
For West Indies, Holder produced a brilliant pace-bowling spell by taking three wickets for 39 runs.
Holder introduced himself in the seventh over and immediately got the breakthrough by having the wicket of Rahul to break the 32-run opening stand.
Brief scores: India 264/5 in 90 overs (Kohli 76, Agarwal 55, Vihari 42*) vs West Indies
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