The Test Updates

India have forced that would have added pressure in the West Indies squad after India, thank to VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni's centuries posting 631-7 declared.

 

West Indies 34 for 2 trail India 631 for 7 decl. (Laxman 176*, Dhoni 144) by 597 runs

India have dominated today's day of play after some big and run building partnership from VVS Laxman (176*) and Dhoni (144) of 224 run partnership between them.

Starting from Yuvraj Singh being new to the crease after the last ball dismissal from Ishant Sharma, Singh went into the play fighting with hitting 5 fours and not taking good balls for granted, building a 50 partnership before being out for 25 with a plumb lbw by in-form Darren Sammy.

Also in the morning session was Laxman's century in 15 months with careful shots while West Indies's effort to contain the rough and fiery partnership between the Dhoni and Laxman was without a doubt, a big failure. Short pitched up balls by the pace bowlers were literally punsihed while Laxman was involved with the punishment a bit as well as rotating the strike.


With Dhoni, Kemar Roach had 2 edges off from him but with fast bat swinging, it missed slip and wicket keeper and ran along the boundaries as part of the quick 224-run stand.


Fidel Edwards laid and attacking field in the off-side but Laxman instead played straight and began setting Edward's clockwork about setting the field before lunch. West Indies tried their young and experienced in sub-continent spinner, Devendra Bishoo to slow the rate down but the 2 mixed batsmen came charging at 4 runs per over even with a restrictive field put into place.


In the closing times of Tea and to his hundred, Dhoni was in Twenty20 mode getting 44 from 28 balls to get to his hundred before the end of the afternoon session. After Tea, Laxman was looking to get to his double but when Dhoni was dismissed and the light was fading, the choice was to allow Laxman to bat his way to a double hundred and try and bowl out West Indies in the following 3 days or declare early and get early wickets to get the batsmen of West Indies struggling in the beginning of the 3rd day. And this is what they did by dismissing the openers of Barath and Briathwaite with the pace-spin attack of Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin to ensure West Indies toil for getting into a good position for the next day of play at 34/2.