India toil as Board President`s XI reach 104/3 at lunch

Basseterre, St. Kitts: India were made to toil hard on day three of the second practice match, as West Indies Board President's XI defied the bowling to reach 104 for three at lunch here on Saturday.

The visitors had finished their first innings on day two at 364, after bowling out the hosts for 180 on the first day.

Shardul Thakur (0-11) and Ravindra Jadeja (1-25) started the day's proceedings, and the Mumbai pacer got some movement immediately.

Thakur was on the mark with his line and length, just as in the first innings and troubled the batsmen. However, unlike day one, he wasn't able to garner any success in the five overs he bowled.

Jadeja, meanwhile, bowled from the end opposite to the one from where he had sent down 13 overs in the first innings and had finished with 3-16. As such, he struggled with the cross wind across the stadium, and was taken for runs by the two batsmen.

Opener John Campbell stepped out and smacked him for two sixes, and thereafter Ravichandran Ashwin (2-38) was re-introduced into the attack.

The left-arm spinner didn't get any rest though, as skipper Virat Kohli deployed him from the same end as in the first innings. And it paid immediate dividends as Jadeja got his man, with Campbell caught at mid-on by KL Rahul.

At the other end, Ashwin continued to trouble the batsmen with his bounce and turn, whilst bowling to an attacking field. But Shai Hope (17) and Jermaine Blackwood (20 batting) defied him for nearly five overs.

In the end, the wicket did come off a brilliant turning ball, with Hope caught by Kohli at leg slip in the 26th over of the innings.

Mohd. Shami (0-17) returned thereafter to bowl a four-over spell, while Amit Mishra (0-11) was deployed as well. But Blackwood, in company of Vishaul Singh (17 batting), managed to bat on for nearly 17 overs and put on 34 runs for the fourth wicket going into the break.

Earlier, on the second day, Jadeja continued his impressive form as he followed up his three-wicket spell in the first innings with a fine half-century.

Besides Jadeja, KL Rahul hit 64 off 127 balls and Kohli made 51 off 94 balls, as the visitors ended their first innings in 105.4 overs.

Jadeja hit a superb 61-ball 56 down the order with the help of eight boundaries.

At stumps on day 2, the hosts were placed at 26 for one in eight overs.