India reach 358/5 vs WI after KL Rahul hits career-best 158

Kingston Jamaica Opener Lokesh Rahul showed a lot of composure hitting a careerbest 158 as India reached a comfortable 358 for 5 on the second day thereby taking complete control of the second cricket Test against West IndiesIndias Lokesh Rahul right celebrates his century as partner Cheteshwar Pujara looks on during the first session of Day Two in the second Test against West Indies at Sabina Park Kingston yesterday PicPTIAt stumps India had consolidated their lead to a sizeable 162 runs despite only 232 runs being scored in the 88 overs bowled in the day as the visitors looked to grind the home team with an aim of outbatting themAjinkya Rahane looked confident during his unbeaten knock of 42 in company of Wriddhiman Saha 17 batting With three days of play left India has enough time to register another facile win over a belowpar Test outfitRahul certainly was the hero of the day as he scored his third Test century on foreign soil with the help of 15 boundaries and three huge sixes the first of which enabledhim to complete a coveted ton It was a compact innings in which he played 303 ballsHe had a partnership of 121 runs for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara who scored a dogged 46 off 159 balls with four boundaries Rahul also had a 69 run stand with skipper Virat Kohli who scored 44 off 90 balls Kohlis innings had four boundaries and a sixBy the time Rahul was adjuedged caught behind down legside off Shanon Gabriel 150 he had put India in drivers seat Kohli who has been in sublime form was dismissed justwhen he was looking to take on the spinners having hit a six and couple of fours off Devendra Bishoos 179 bowlingIt was spinner Roston Chase 291 who bowled an offbreak which Kohli tried to guide only to offer a simple catch to Rajendra Chandrika at forward short leg Ravichandran Ashwin 3 was adjudged legbefore off a Bishoo delivery that hit the toeRahane and Saha negotiated the remaining 125 overs adding 31 runs with minimum fuss Earlier Rahul up his third overseas Test century and helped India lead by 63 runs by teaAlong with Pujara he looked to make good on the hard work done in the morning session The West Indies were looking listless as ever and this was a good time to get some quickruns under the beltThe only difference from the Antigua Test was perhaps that West Indies werent allowing easy scoring and had tightened up The 200mark for India came up in the 70th over and the duo celebrated their 100stand for the 2nd wicket off 283 ballsEven as the batsmen looked for runs they had to take some risks and in doing so Pujara was runout after a direct throw from square leg found him short of the crease It was a long stay at the crease which didniquestt even result in a halfcentury an obvious source of disappointment as the batsman trudged off slowlyRahul suffered cramps thereafter but kept going as Kohli joined him The West Indies decision to delay the new ball helped him settle down and he was beaten only once in the first 20 deliveries that he had facedKraigg Brathwaite 026 was put to bowl much to everyones surprise and soon the runs began flowing again as India went past the 250mark in the 90th over as the two batsmen put up 50 runs for the 3rd wicket off 106 balls Just before tea Rahul went past the 150mark for the first time in his Test careerIn the morning Rahul and Pujara had played out a slow morning session as India were trailing the hosts by just 11 runs at lunch Starting at the overnight score of 1261 the two batsmen looked to play for time as there was still something in the pitch for the bowlersHowever they didnt have any help from the weather as it was bright and sunny when play began rendering this a good day to bat Even so the West Indies pacers didnt make things easy for the Indian batsmen Gabriel bowled an extended spell as did Cummins and the two bowled a nagging line to trouble the duo at the creaseGabriel in particular tested both Rahul and Pujara thrice inducing edges as they fell short of the waiting cordon On three other occasions he beat the batsmen with hispace and bounceCummins too beat the batsmen with his line and length getting a couple to rise awkwardly but the edges didnt come or didnt carry to the fielders as the batsmen looked to play with soft handsIt obviously affected the runrate as only 22 runs came in the first hour of play with Pujara taking 35 deliveries to get off his overnight score of 18 not out The 150mark came up in the 52nd over and the duo brought up their 50partnership off 141 deliveriesSoon enough after being patient through the morning Rahul hit out in the 56th over and deposited Chase for a six over longon and brought up his hundred off 182 balls His previous two hundreds were scored in 2015 coming against Australia Sydney and Sri Lanka ColomboIn doing so he notched up the highest score for an Indian opener playing his very first innings in the West Indies beating Ajay Jadejas 97 1996 Shikhar Dhawans 84 2016 and Sunil Gavaskariquests 65 1971At the other end Pujara struck two boundaries to break the shackles and finally got his strikerate going as India went into the lunch break in consummate control of this match Jason Holder 049 was the other bowler tried