PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Raheem Cornwall pressed his case with a half-century and fast bowler Chemar Holder impressed with a career-best spell, but West Indies “A” conceded their advantage following a top-order collapse batting a second time in the second “Test” against India “A” on Thursday here.
Cornwall lashed a robust, unbeaten 56 from 66 balls to lead a rearguard for West Indies “A” before they were bowled out for 318 in their first innings in the final hour before lunch on the second day of the contest at Queen’s Park Oval.
Holder, the former West Indies Under-19 World Cup-winning fast bowler, followed up with 5-54 from 13 overs, and Guyana Jaguars teammates Romario Shepherd and left-arm medium-fast bowler Raymon Reifer shared the other five wickets, as India “A” were dismissed for 190.
Hoping to build on a first innings lead of 128, the home team ran into early strife in their second innings, when Sandeep Warrier grabbed 3-3 from three overs and they stumbled to 12 for four at the close of an action-packed day.
A-Team captain and key senior West Indies team opener Kraigg Brathwaite flirted with a wide ball from Warrier and edged behind for 10 in the fourth over, and three balls later in the same over, Shamarh Brooks made no score when his attempted flick at a delivery from Mohammad Siraj ended up in the hands of the third slip fielder to leave West Indies “A” 12 for two.
With no addition to the total, Montcin Hodge departed for a duck, edging a drive at the first delivery of the next over from Mohammed Siraj to gully, before night watchman Jomel Warrican was also taken at third slip for a duck in Warrier’s next over.
The day had started in a similar vein for West Indies “A” after they resumed from their overnight toal of 243 for five.
They lost Reifer, lbw to Siraj, without him adding to his overnight 27 and Shane Dowrich, unbeaten on 24 overnight, made 36 before he was bowled playing back to a googly from Mayank Markande.
But Cornwall, batting at eight, propped up the bottom half of the batting, slamming six fours and three sixes to push the West Indies “A” total past the 300-run mark, as Siraj ended with 3-63 from 27 overs and Markande finished with 3-79 from 20 overs.
Holder then left India “A” reeling on 20 for five, slicing through the top-order batting with incisive fast bowling.
But Shivam Dube, batting at seven, counter-attacked striking 11 fours and a pair of sixes in 79 off 85 balls in close to 2 ½ hours and opener Priyank Panchal collected eight fours in 58 off 125 balls in 2 ¾ hours at the crease to stabilise the innings with a 124-run, sixth-wicket stand.
Reifer broke the stand when he had Panchal caught at first slip and this dismissal triggered the final slide where five wickets fell for 46, as Shepherd claimed 3-29 from 10 overs and Reifer snapped up 2-42 from 12 overs.
India “A” lead the three-match series 1-0, following a six-wicket victory in the first “Test” last Saturday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
SCORBOARD
WEST INDIES “A” 1st Innings
(overnight 243 for five)
*K. Brathwaite b Warrier 36
M. Hodge b Mohammed Siraj 65
S. Brooks c and b Dube 53
S. Ambris lbw b Gowtham 12
J. Blackwood c Vihari b Markande 20
+S. Dowrich b Markande 36
R. Reifer lbw b Mohammed Siraj 27
R. Cornwall not out 56
R. Shepherd c Agarwal b Warrier 2
J. Warrican lbw b Markande 0
C. Holder b Mohammed Siraj 0
Extras (b5, w2, nb4) 11
TOTAL (all out, 113 overs) 318
Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-149, 3-166, 4-188, 5-196, 6-247, 7-268, 8-300, 9-301
Bowling: Mohammed Siraj 27-8-63-3, Warrier 24-4-77-2, Dube 19-7-40-1, Gowtham 19-3-49-1, Panchal 4-1-5-0, Markande 20-2-79-3
INDIA “A” 1st Innings
P. Panchal c Cornwall b Reifer 58
M. Agarwal c wkpr Dowrich b Holder 4
A. Esawaran c Warrican b Holder 0
*H. Vihari lbw b Holder 0
A. Singh c Warrican b Holder 0
+K.S. Bharat c Blackwood b Reifer 7
S. Dube c Holder b Shepherd 79
K. Gowtham c Hodge b Shepherd 18
M. Markande c wkpr Dowrich b Shepherd 7
M. Siraj c Cornwall b Holder 9
S. Warrier not out 0
Extras (lb4, w4) 8
TOTAL (all out, 46.5 overs) 190
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-11, 3-11, 4-11, 5-20, 6-144, 7-172, 8-180, 9-185
Bowling: Holder 13-4-54-5, Shepherd 10-4-29-3, Reifer 12-3-42-2, Blackwood 2-0-10-0, Warrican 5-1-27-0, Cornwall 5-0-24-0
WEST INDIES “A” 2nd Innings
*K. Brathwaite c wkpr Bharat b Warrier 10
M. Hodge c Panchal b Mohammed Siraj 0
S. Brooks c Panchal b Warrier 0
J. Warrican c Esawaran b Warrier 0
S. Ambris not out 0
J. Blackwood not out 0
Extras (lb1, nb1) 2
TOTAL (4 wkts, 7 overs) 12
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-12, 3-12, 4-12
Bowling: Siraj 4-2-8-1, Warrier 3-1-3-3
Position: West Indies “A” lead by 140 with six second innings wickets standing
Umpires: Z. Bassarath, D. Buttler
Match referee: M. Ragoonath
Reserve umpire: K. Kowlessar
Source: CMC/CWI Media
