West Indies struggled on the first day of their opening match of their six-week tour of India. Facing a Indian Board President XI in Vadodara taking only six wicket at the end of the day the Indian Board President XI finished on 360 for 6.
Spinner Devendra Bishoo was the most successful bowler taking three wickets – including those of half-centurions Mayank Agarwal (90) and Shreyas Iyer (61) – in a 21-over spell while Sherman Lewis, the young right-arm steamer making his debut, was economical as he picked up a wicket and conceded only 13 runs in 10 overs with 6 maidens. Lewis’ wicket was that of India’s latest Test player, Hanuma Vihari. Ankit Bawne, the right-handed middle-order batsman who had made two centuries in three List A innings before this match, scored an unbeaten 116 at No. 6. His innings took 191 balls and he hit 15 boundaries during its course.
Agarwal’s 111-ball innings was peppered with 14 fours and two sixes, as he made another push to the national selectors for a back-door entry into the Indian squad that plays it’s first Test on October 4. Ignored for the Tests in England, Agarwal had struck two half-centuries against the visiting Australia-A team in the past month, before which he had scored 220 against South Africa A in early August. Agarwal did the bulk of the scoring in a 92-run third-wicket stand with captain Karun Nair, after the two had come together with IBXIP on 40 for 2. By the time Agarwal was out ten short of a ninth first-class hundred just after lunch, the Board President’s XI were at 132 for 3.
Iyer then hit a brisk 64-ball 61 through the afternoon, combining with a more sedate Bawne for a 113-run fifth-wicket stand, after which the latter took control and piloted his way to an 18th first-class century.
Having been asked to field, West Indies had begun with Shannon Gabriel having opener Prithvi Shaw caught-behind in the day’s third over, after which Lewis sent Vihari back in the 13th. It was then Bishoo’s legbreak that broke the Agarwal-Nair partnership, after which he went on to dismiss both Iyer and wicketkeeper Smit Patel after tea. Paul, Jomel Worrican, Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite went wicketless.
The second and final day of the only tour match will see the West Indies batting be tested by the likes of Avesh Khan, Basil Thampi, Jalaj S Saxena and Ishan Porel.
