A DOMINATING display by the spinners helped India bowl out West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President’s XI for 180, before the hosts fought back with three wickets in the final session on day one of their second warm-up game at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, yesterday.Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin picked up three wickets apiece while Amit Mishra bagged two as the Indian spinners ensured that they did not let the home team off the hook at any stage.
While Ashwin bagged a wicket in each of the sessions, Jadeja’s three scalps came in the post-lunch period before Mishra wrapped up the innings early in the final session.
In reply, India lost Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay after a steady start, before Pujara and Rahul raised a half-century stand to bring down the deficit. However, Pujara departed in the final over of the day, leaving the visitors trailing by 87 runs.
Shardul Thakur and Stuart Binny were among the thirteen (11 to bat and 11 to field) selected for the game, along with Jadeja, Ashwin and Vijay, while Mohammed Shami was the lone Indian seamer from the previous game to feature in the second match.
While Shami erred in his line and length, there weren’t any such problems with Thakur, who brought about the dismissal of skipper Leon Johnson with a short delivery. Fellow opener John Campbell, despite living dangerously, was contributing to the scorecard before Ashwin sent him back for 34, while Shai Hope, the centurion of the previous game, fell to Binny soon after.
Jadeja, who had bowled only two overs in the morning session, came into his own after the lunch break, picking up three wickets in quick succession to leave the hosts reeling. Vishaul Singh became Jadeja’s first victim when he handed a catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at bat-pad.
Jermaine Blackwood, who took on the spinners in a bid to counter-attack, was bowled around his legs for 36. Rahkeem Cornwall walked in at No.6 and didn’t allow the spinners to dictate terms to him, as he dealt a flurry of boundaries. However, the procession of wickets continued as Montcin Hodge was trapped in front by Jadeja for a 41-ball 6.
Jamhar Hamilton joined Cornwall in a bid to halt the slide. But his dogged stay at the crease ended when he pulled a Mishra delivery straight to Shami. Cornwall’s entertaining innings of 41 was soon brought to an end by Ashwin after the batsman hit one straight to Pujara at cover.
Kemar Roach and Jason Dawes, who took the hosts past 150, came up with a defiant stand to prevent the Indians from bundling them out before the tea break. However, they fell off successive overs soon after the break as India put to rest any hopes of a rearguard action for the home team.
The Indian openers got the team off to a solid start as they negotiated the first ten overs without much problems. Murali Vijay played a couple of pleasing shots while Shikhar Dhawan too looked in control as they added 34 runs in the first 10 overs.
However, the visitors suffered quick setbacks after that as Dhawan and Vijay fell in successive overs, getting out to Dawes and Chemar Holder respectively, in their attempt to cut deliveries that were close to the body.
KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara began rebuilding the innings and were happy to play the wait-and-watch game. When the spinners were introduced, they managed to up the ante, raising a half-century stand before Pujara was bowled by Cornwall, in what turned out to be the last ball of the day.(Cricbuzz)

WICB President’s XI 1st innings

J. Campbell st †Saha b Ashwin 34
L. Johnson* c Binny b Thakur 3
D. Hope c Ashwin b Binny 11
J. Blackwood b Jadeja 36
V Singh c Pujara b Jadeja 3
M. Hodge lbw b Jadeja 6
R. Cornwall c Pujara b Ashwin 41
J. Hamilton† c Mohammed Shami b Mishra 1
K. Roach not out 11
J. Dawes lbw b Mishra 18
G Moti-Kanhai c †Saha b Ashwin 8
Extras: (b 4, lb 2, nb 2) 8
Total: (all out; 62.4 overs) 180
Did not bat: CK Holder, K Joseph
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-49, 3-57, 4-81, 5-98, 6-119, 7-135, 8-143, 9-171, 10-180
Bowling : Mohammed Shami 5-0-19-0, S.Thakur 10-1-24-1, R Ashwin 19.4-5-62-3, S. Binny 5-3-8-1, RA Jadeja 13-9-16-3, A Mishra 10-2-45-2

INDIAs 1st innings

M Vijay c †Hamilton b Holder 23
S Dhawan c Hope b Dawes 9
K Rahulnot out 30
C. Pujara b Cornwall 28
Extras: (lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 3
Total: (3 wickets; 25.3 overs) 93
To bat: V Kohli*, AM Rahane, WP Saha†, R Ashwin, RA Jadeja, A Mishra, Mohammed Shami, STR Binny, SN Thakur
Fall of wickets 1-34, 2-34, 3-93
Bowling: K. Roach 5-1-12-0, K Joseph 4-1-21-0, JO Dawes 5-1-15-1, C Holder 5-2-8-1, R Cornwall 3.3-0-17-1, G Moti-Kanhai 3-0-19-0