WEST Indies were 575 for nine wickets at the close of the second day of the third and final Test against India at Wankhede Stadium today.
India lead the series 2-0.
Scores: West Indies 575-9 (K. Brathwaite 68, A. Barath 62, K. Edwards 86, D. Bravo 166, K. Powell 81, M. Samuels 61; V. Aaron 3-106, R. Ashwin 4-154).
Darren Bravo continued to torment India`s bowlers as West Indies closed in on the 500-run mark at the tea interval on the second day of the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium today.
The visitors thrashed the home attack on an easy-paced surface, losing just Kirk Edwards (86) and Kieran Powell (81) in the first two sessions of the day to reach the interval on a daunting 494 for four.
Bravo (156) completed his third Test century and looked comfortable at the crease with Marlon Samuels (18) as West Indies, trailing 2-0 in the series, significantly improved their chances of avoiding a series whitewash.
The top five West Indies batsmen all made half-centuries, forcing India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to resort to desperate measures, including bringing on Sachin Tendulkar to bowl, in search of wickets on a placid pitch.
Bravo, the 22-year-old left-hander, brought up his second successive ton with an elegant square-driven boundary off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and celebrated by kissing his bat before raising it aloft along with his cap.
The cousin of former West Indies batting great Brian Lara has hit 16 boundaries during his 265-ball stay, the only blemish coming on Tuesday (November 22), when Rahul Dravid dropped him at slip on 33 off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s bowling.
Resuming on 267-2, Bravo and Edwards added 164 for the third wicket before the latter edged paceman Ishant Sharma to wicketkeeper Dhoni on the stroke of the first drinks break of the day.
Bravo then added 160 for the fourth wicket with Powell as the tourists recorded a third century partnership of the innings.
Powell, who replaced the injured Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the team, made the most of his opportunity and hit nine fours before he edged Ojha to Dhoni while going for a extravagant backfoot drive.
The stylish Bravo, who made 136 in the second innings in the last Test in Kolkata, started the day with two straight-driven fours off debutant paceman Varun Aaron and has looked extremely comfortable at the crease throughout his extended stay.
Sharma was the pick of India’s bowlers and beat the edge on a number of occasions, but failed to make any further inroads into the batting order following his removal of Edwards in the first session.
