CROYDON, England CMC – Andre Russell continued to impress on the West Indies tour of England yesterday, but a fine hundred from India-A captain Chesteshwar Pujara put his side in a superior position in the second ‘Test’. Russell collected three wickets for 51 runs from 18 overs, but Pujara struck 19 fours from 185 balls to revive India-A with an unbeaten 111 that carried his side to 329 for five when stumps were drawn on the opening day of the four-day match at Whitgift School.
Gavin Tonge took two for 81 from 21 overs to support Russell, but defiant batting right down the India-A order put the Caribbean side on the defensive.
Russell gave Windies-A the breakthrough, when he removed Abhinav Mukund caught for 39, after the batsman shared an opening stand of 69 with Shikhar Dhawan.
Windies-A continued to face resistance, but two wickets for two runs brought them back in the game, and left India-A on 102 for two.
Russell had Ajinkya Rahane caught for 13, and Tonge added the scalp of Dhawan caught behind for 43, but Windies-A were put on the defensive, when Manish Pandey joined Pujara, and added 89 for the fourth wicket.
Russell also had him caught just before the tea to leave India-A 192 for four at the break, but Pujara consolidated his side’s position with stands of 46 for the fifth wicket with Manoj Tiwary, and 92 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket with Wriddhinam Shah.
Windies-A trail 0-1 in the two-match series, after losing the opening match by six wickets last Sunday at Grace Road.
INDIA-A 1st innings
A. Mukund c Brathwaite b Russell    43
S. Dhawan c wkp.Walton b Tonge    39
A. Rahane c D.S. Smith b Russell    13
C. Pujara not out    111
M. Pandey c Khan b Russell    36
M. Pandey c Smith b Tonge    36
W. Saha not out    32
Extras: (b-12, lb-2, nb-5)    19
Total: (5 wkts, 90 overs) 329
Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-100, 3-102, 4-191, 5-237.
Bowling: Bernard 18-3-51-0, Tonge 21-3-81-2, Russell 18-4-51-3, Baker 7-2-15-0, Khan 21-1-98-0, Fletcher 5-0-19-0.
WEST INDIES-A: D.S. Smith, K. Brathwaite, A. Fletcher, O. Phillips, K. Edwards, C. Walton, D. Bernard, I. Khan, A. Russell, L. Baker, G. Tonge.