Thaindian News

Kingston (Jamaica), June 21 (IANS) Debutant medium pacer Praveen Kumar picked up three wickets to leave the West Indies struggling at 119 for five at lunch, brightening India’s chances of getting a first innings lead on the second day of the first cricket Test at the Sabina Park here Tuesday.

Resuming at 34/1, West Indies scored 85 runs from 26 overs in the first session, thanks to opener Adrian Barath’s fighting 64. Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul was batting on nine and Carlton Baugh 14 as the hosts took lunch, still trailing by 127 runs. India made 246 runs in the first session.

The West Indies batsmen struggled to adjust to the pace of the track and ironically all the wickets felt to medium pacers on a turning pitch. Praveen bagged three for 26 while lanky fast bowler Ishant Sharma got two for 17.

Ishant struck in the second over, to pick up his second wicket, by getting Ramnaresh Sarwan (3) trapped leg-before the wicket with a great delivery that swung back sharply.

Barath and Darren Bravo (18) then added 56-runs for the third wicket. While Bravo lived dangerously edging the ball every now and then, Barath played patiently and waited to pounce on poor deliveries. Barath hit nine fours and a six in his 122 ball innings.

Barath completed his half-century with a four off leggie Amit Mishra and smacked the next delivery for huge six over long-on as 12 runs came off the 36th over.

In the next over, Barath hit Praveen for another four but the medium-pacer had the last laugh when he forced the opening batsman to play an out-swinging delivery only to edge it to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Praveen again struck in his next over with an away going delivery forcing Bravo to edge it to Dhoni again. He picked up his third wicket in the 43rd over when he produced another good delivery and Brendan Nash (1) edged it to Suresh Raina at third slip.