Watch: On the third day of the second Test match between the West Indies and India, at Port of Spain, Ajinkya Rahane took a one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood.
India amassed 438 in the second Test of the two-match series, at the Queen’s Park Oval, after West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite opted to bowl.
Virat Kohli made 121, his 29th Test hundred and his first away from home since December 2018, while Rohit Sharma (80), Yashasvi Jaiswal (57), Ajinkya Rahane (61), and R Ashwin (56). For the West Indies, Kemar Roach claimed 3-104 and Jomel Warrican 3-89.
With three and a half days left, the hosts went into a ‘blockathon‘. Brathwaite kept out 235 balls for his 75, and wickets were difficult to come by.
Ravindra Jadeja bowled the 87th over of the innings. Bowling from over the wicket, he spun one from the rough outside the leg stump. The ball kicked off the turf and Blackwood, like his teammates, decided to play at it.
The ball turned past the bat, took the edge of Blackwood’s bat, deflected off Ishan Kishan’s glove, and dipped to the left – the wrong side – of Ajinkya Rahane, who had been standing wider than usual to cover Jadeja’s over-the-wicket angle.
Rahane, 35, showed exceptional reflex to come up with an exceptional catch with his left hand.
The West Indies ended the day on 229-5. They saved the follow on next morning but lost five wickets in 46 balls as Mohammed Siraj (5-60) rolled them over for 255. For perspective, India had batted 12.2 overs more than the West Indies but had a first-innings lead of 183.
Eyeing a quick declaration, Rohit (57 in 44 balls) and Jaiswal (37 not out in 28), the Indian openers, blazed away to a rapid start. At lunch on day four, India were 98-1 in 12 overs. They lead by 281 runs.
