India Reaches 358/5 as KL Rahul Scores Career Best 158 on Day 2

Having begun the day on 126/1, India extended their advantage with useful contributions from Kohli and Pujara.

KL Rahul’s career-best test score of 158 helped India cruise to a score of 358 for the loss of 5 wickets. (Photo: AP)

India scored 358 for the loss of five wickets, cruising to a lead of 162 runs at the end of Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Having begun the day on 126/1, India extended their advantage with KL Rahul’s career-best test score of 158 and useful contributions from Virat Kohli (44) and Cheteshwar Pujara (46).

At stumps, India had consolidated a healthy lead despite after scoring only 232 runs in the 88 overs bowled in the day as India looked to grind the home team with an aim of out-batting them from the match.

The only bright spark for the Windies in the opening few hours of the day was pacer Shannon Gabriel who time and again beat Rahul outside the off stump. He managed two draw two edges also but both fell short of the close-in fielders.

But once Gabriel ran out of steam, Rahul pounced on anything loose and the rival bowlers helped him by hurling short ones.

Rahul certainly was the hero of the day as he scored his third Test century on foreign soil with the help of 15 boundaries and three huge sixes, the first of which enabled him to complete a coveted ton. It was a compact innings in which he faced 303 balls.

Virat Kohli, greets Rahul during day two of the Test match against the West Indies at. (Photo: AP)

He had a partnership of 121 runs for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a dodgy 46 off 159 balls with four boundaries. Rahul also had a 69-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 44 off 90 balls. Kohli’s innings had four boundaries and a six.

By the time, Rahul was adjudged caught behind down the leg-side off Shanon Gabriel (1/50), he had put India in the driver’s seat. Kohli, who has been in sublime form was dismissed just when he was looking to take on the spinners having hit a six and couple of fours off Devendra Bishoo’s (1/79) bowling.

It was the spinner Roston Chase (2/91), who bowled an off-break which Kohli presented a simple catch to Rajendra Chandrika at forward short leg. Ravichandran Ashwin (3) was adjudged leg-before off a Bishoo delivery that hit the toe.

At the end of play on day two, Ajinkya Rahane looked confident as he stood at the crease with an unbeaten knock of 42 in the company of Wriddhiman Saha(17).

With three days of play remaining, India has enough time to register another big win over a below-par Windies Test outfit.

(With agency Inputs)