Windies 'A' hit back after Rasool bags five

Promising all-rounder Parvez Rasool took five wickets, but West Indies 'A' hit back after being dismissed for 429 in the first unofficial Test at the Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground in Mysore, on Thursday.

At stumps on the second day, India 'A' were in a spot of bother at 124 for three, with skipper Cheteshwar Pujara back in the pavilion.

The hosts trail the Kirk Edwards-led side by 305 runs with seven wickets in hand.

Manpreet Juneja was unbeaten on 47 off 77 balls while Harshad Khadiwale was batting on five.

Opener Lokesh Rahul scored 46 off 100 balls.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir cricketer Rasool emerged the star of the day, taking five wickets for 116 runs in 45 overs.

While the rest of the bowlers struggled to get rid of the West Indies tail-enders, the 24-year-old off-spinner was always on the lookout for wickets.

Resuming at 264 for five, the last five West Indies batsmen frustrated the Indian bowlers by contributing a commendable 192 runs.

West Indies 'A' lost overnight batsman Chadwick Walton in the fourth over of the day. He could only add only eight runs to his overnight unbeaten 27 before being trapped leg before by pacer Ishwar Pandey.

Assad Fadudin (not out 86) and Nikita Miller (49) then thwarted the Indian bowlers, putting on a crucial 88-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Miller was unfortunately run-out by the Pujara-Rohit Motwani combo. His 86-ball knock was studded with five boundaries.

The West Indies lost another wicket in the form of Veerasammy Permaul (11), but not before crafting a 42-run stand for the eighth wicket with Fadudin.

Rasool then quickly packed off Delorn Johnson (0) and Miguel Cummins (6), leaving Fudadin 14 short of what would have been a well-deserved century. He faced 201 balls, hit 10 fours and a six.

In reply, Indian openers Rahul and Jiwanjot Singh Chouhan began on a cautious note. The pair put on 45 runs for the first wicket, before

Chouhan was gleefully caught by wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton off left-arm spinner Permaul for 16.

Miguel Cummins grabbed the prized wicket of Pujara for three.

Suddenly, India 'A' were struggling at 49 for two, but a 60-run stand for the third wicket between Rahul and Juneja put the hosts back on the road to recovery.

Juneja, who scored 193 in the second unofficial Test against New Zeland ‘A’ at Visakhapatnam earlier this month, displayed his class once again.

Coming in to bat at 49 for two, he got his act right with an aggressive approach, hitting seven boundaries.

Rahul, too, found the fence seven times before he wascaught by Leon Johnson off Miller.

Scorecard

West Indies 'A' (1st innings):

K Brathwaite c Motwani b Rasool 92

K Powell lbw b Mohammed Shami 0

K Edwards b Pandey 91

N Deonarine c & b Rasool 28

A Fudadin not out 86

L Johnson lbw b Paliwal 10

C Walton lbw b Pandey 35

N Miller run out 49

V Permaul c Pujara b Rasool 11

D Johnson c Mohd Shami b Rasool 0

M Cummins lbw b Rasool 6

Extras: (b 7, lb 9, nb 5) 21

Total: 429

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-175, 3-211, 4-223, 5-237, 6-276, 7-364, 8-406, 9-412, 10-429.

Bowling: Mohd Shami 21-2-75-1(1nb), I Pandey 27-7-69-2, A Dinda 25-2-80-0(4nb), P Rasool 45-13-116-5, R Paliwal 13-3-56-1, H Khadiwale 4-0-17-0.

India 'A' (1st innings):

K Rahul c L Johnson b Miller 46

Jiwanjot Singh c Walton b Permaul 16

C Pujara c Powell b Cummins 3

M Juneja not out 47

H Khadiwale not out 5

Extras: (b 4, nb 3) 7

Total: (for three wickets; 43 overs) 124

To bat: R Paliwal, Parvez Rasool, R Motwani, I Pandey, Mohd Shami, A Dinda

Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-49, 3-109

Bowling: M Cummins 12-1-37-1(3nb), D Johnson 9-3-28-0, V Permaul 13-2-45-1, N Miller 9-4-10-1.

Image: Parvez Rasool

Photograph: Umar Ganie