Fortunes fluctuated as the large crowd at the Gangotri Glades enjoyed every moment of the first day’s play in the India A-West Indies A four-day game here on Wednesday.
At stumps on day one, the visitors progressed to 264 for 5, a decent recovery after they lost opener Kieran Powell with only three runs on the board. But skipper Kirk Edwards (91, 11X4, 1X6) and Kraigg Brathwaite stitched a partnership of 172 runs to bolster them.
When the partnership blossomed, India feared losing their grip on the match, but promising medium pacer Ishwar Pandey castled the skipper before off-spinner Parvez Rasool accounted for Brathwaite and Narsingh Deonarine to stall the Caribbeans. Fellow off-spinner Rajat Paliwal, then, dismissed Leon Johnson to pull the hosts back into the game.
The wicket had a greenish tinge, and Cheteshwar Pujara packed his team with three pacers, and upon winning the toss chose to bowl. His decision was justified as Powell was nailed in front by Shami in the third over.
However, the Barbados pair diligently withered the early storm, and as the wicket eased out they played with a lot more confidence. Initially they crept, the fist 50 of their partnership consumed 25 overs, before they gathered the tempo with some delicious strokeplay.
Edwards, the more adventurous of the two, played some fine attacking shots. A cover drive off Rasool stood out. Brathwaite, meanwhile, waited for loose balls. But unfortunate it was that both missed out on hundreds.
Edwards was done in by Pandey’s in-swinger while Brathwaite was caught at wicket by stumper Rohit Motwani. Rasool’s confidence grew and he sustained a tidy line and length, best testified by that one third of his overs were maidens.
Scoreboard: West Indies A: Kraigg Brathwaite c Motwani b Parvez Rasool 92, Kieran Powell lbw b Mohammed Shami 0, Kirk Edwards b Pandey 91, Narsingh Deonarine c & b Parvez Rasool 28, A Fudadin not out 4, L Johnson lbw b Paliwal 10, C Walton not out 26.
Extras (b3, lb6, nb4) 13.
Total (5 wkts; 90 overs) 264.
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-175, 3-211, 4-223, 5-235.
Bowling: Mohd Shami 16-2-54-1, I Pandey 18-5-45-1, A Dinda 16-2-43-0, Parvez Rasool 25-8-60-2, R Paliwal 7-2-26-1, H Khadiwale 4- 0-17-0.