Chase helps WI pile 295/7

Hyderabad :  Indian spinners went off the boil in the final session as all-rounder Roston Chase hit a gutsy unbeaten 98 to take the West Indies to a respectable 295 for seven on the opening day of the second Test, here on Friday. 

Chase, who scored 137 to deny India a victory in a Test match in Jamaica back in 2016, showed the much-needed application with requisite technique as Indian bowlers struggled after polishing off the top half for only 113 runs. 

Chase, along with skipper Jason Holder (52), did enough to ensure that the West Indies will have a good first innings total to fight against a heavyweight Indian batting line-up. 

Not being able to dismiss the middle and lower-order was a problem in England and it once again turned out to be the bowling unit's bane as the Chase-Holder duo added 104 runs for the seventh wicket. 

In England, it was the pacers, here it was the spinners and only one wicket fell for 102 runs in last session. 

Nonetheless, Umesh Yadav (3/83 in 23 overs) bowled his heart out on a good batting track while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/74 in 26 overs) was also impressive during the first two sessions. 

Debutant pacer Shardul Thakur left the field complaining of groin strain after bowling merely 10 deliveries and the Indian attack was reduced to four men. 

It seemed good enough till tea time but the lack of a fifth bowler did have its effect in the final session as the two senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (1/49 in 24.2 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (0/69 in 20 overs) lacked a Plan B to dismiss a set Chase. 

That Jadeja didn't even have a Plan A was evident as he bowled flat out but wasn't even restrictive like Ashwin.

 Prior to the match, when Chase was asked about doing a Jamaica encore, he replied: "Anything is possible." He walked the talk and read the pitch better compared to his top-order colleagues. 

He understood that it was a flat track and played most deliveries on the front-foot to meet the ball early. When the spinners fired in the faster ones, he was quick to lean on his backfoot. 

In all, he hit seven boundaries and a six during his 174-ball knock. However, it was India, who had started the post-lunch session on a dominant note with signs that another batting debacle from the Caribbeans looking imminent. 

Shimron Hetmeyer (12) offered no stroke to a googly and was adjudged plumb in-front. Sunil Ambris (18) played a loose shot as the Caribbeans were left stuttering at 113 for five.