Windies A fight back

PORT OF SPAIN, NOV 21: Sylvester Joseph hit an undefeated 56 to lead West Indies A to 131 for four in reply to India A's 226 on the secon...

PORT OF SPAIN, NOV 21: Sylvester Joseph hit an undefeated 56 to lead West Indies A to 131 for four in reply to India A’s 226 on the second day of the opening four-day cricket `Test’ in Port of Spain. Joseph, a 21-year-old from Antigua, batted just over three hours, and faced 132 balls. The compact right-hander struck six fours, most of them lofted drives over mid-off and mid-on against the spinners.

Joseph shared in a 64-run third wicket stand with his captain Jimmy Adams, who made 35. Adams batted 79 minutes and faced 75 balls before he appeared unlucky to be given out caught bat pad off the persevering left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.

Fast bowler Dodda Ganesh made the initial breakthrough for India by removing Trinidadian Darren Ganga for eight, caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Samir Dighe.

Story continues below this ad

Jamaican teenager Brenton Parchment made 15 on his first-class debut before he was well caught at short leg by Mohammad Kaif off left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi. Left-hander Chris Gayle was the last WestIndies wicket to fall before play ended because of bad light with 10 overs still due to be bowled.

The Jamaican played a rash drive at Ganesh and edged a catch to the wicket-keeper after scoring just one.

Earlier in the day, the West Indies `A’ fast bowlers combined to dismiss India A for 226 minutes before lunch. India A, resuming on 179 for five, added 47 runs in just under two hours in the morning. The West Indies pace trio of Dwight Mais, Goldwyn Prince and Nixon McLean, as they had done on day one, never allowed India’s batsmen to take command.

The overnight pair of Mohammad Kaif and Samir Dighe (32: 105b, 159m, 2×4) stretched their sixth wicket stand of 74, the best of the innings, before Kaif provided a wicket-keeper’s catch off Mais.