Ishant, Umesh and Kuldeep pick three each as India take big lead

A strong batting display on day one was complemented nicely by the Indian bowlers as they skittled West Indies A for just 181, earning themselves a 116-run lead, which was stretched to 200 at stumps on the second day of the warm-up fixture in Coolidge. Pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav all returned three-wicket hauls in an impressive performance.

Ishant, who last played in the IPL, did most of the damage with the new ball, dislodging opener Jeremy Solozano and No. 3 Brandon King in his opening burst. The prized scalp of Darren Bravo, however, was picked up by Umesh for just 11. The middle and lower order was accounted for by Kuldeep as nobody except opener Kavem Hodge, who made 51, got going for the hosts.

Curiously, R Ashwin did not bowl a single over. But Navdeep Saini, who was not a part of the original Test squad, sent down six overs. Jasprit Bumrah, back in action after the World Cup, sent down 11 wicketless overs that cost him 45, and Ravindra Jadeja bowled 12 overs without a wicket, though he made his presence felt in the field as he effected the run out of Jason Mohammed.

With the bat, Mayank Agarwal endured another failure as he fell for just 13, but Ajinkya Rahane, who opened in place of KL Rahul, got to stumps unbeaten on a patient 20 off 95 balls. He had the company of Hanuma Vihari, who was more fluent in his unbeaten 48 off 84 balls.