PORT OF SPAIN, Aug 18:
India removed two West Indies batsmen — Leon Johnson and Dareen Bravo — even as rain and wet outfield hampered proceedings on day one of the fourth cricket Test, here today.
The hosts were 62 for two at lunch as the morning session was cut short by a rain shower. This was after the toss had been delayed by 30 minutes, on account of showers last evening and early this morning.
Karigg Brathwaite (32) and Marlon Samuels (4) were at the crease for the hosts when rain halted play. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/13) and Mohammed Shami (0-14) started off proceedings after the hosts elected to bat, half an hour past the scheduled time with the session timings adjusted accordingly.
Under overcast conditions, the two pacers got enough purchase with the new ball and squared up both batsmen on more than a couple occasions from both ends. Kumar, in particular, continued from where he left off in St. Lucia.
And he should have had his reward, but skipper Virat Kohli dropped Brathwaite (on 4) in the 3rd over off Kumar, unable to latch on to the low one-handed catch at second slip. Shami though was a touch wayward and it allowed the batsmen to score off him at times. It necessitated bringing Ishant Sharma (1/7) into the attack, and he delivered off the very first ball.
Johnson could not keep down a short delivery in the 12th over, and lobbed it up for Rohit Sharma to complete an easy catch at short leg, diving forward.
Spin was introduced in the 13th over then, and in his very second over, R Ashwin (1/22) slipped a beauty past Darren Bravo (10) and knocked back his off stump.
Marlon Samuels (4 batting) then joined Brathwaite at the crease, and the two took the score past the 50-mark before rain came again, just 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch was to be taken. (PTI)
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