Reports | Gowtham, Agarwal star as India A inch closer to series win against West Indies A
A five-wicket haul by Krishnappa Gowtham, followed by a 150-run opening stand between Priyank Panchal and Mayank Agarwal, saw Indian A doing extremely well and almost guarantee a win on day three. With 278 needed to win, India A were 185/3 at stumps, needing 93 more runs with seven wickets in hand.
Pacer Sandeep Warrier had ripped through the Windies A top order, leaving them stuttering at 12/4 on day two. However, the Indian bowlers were faced with a counter punch early on day three, from Jermaine Blackwood and Sunil Ambris.
The duo put together 55 runs before Gowtham stepped to the fore. He had Blackwood caught by Abhimanyu Easwaran on 31, before cleaning up the tail in a jiffy. Gowtham picked up 5/17 from his 7.5 overs, while Ambris, who was the ninth wicket to fall, was the top scorer for the hosts with 71 runs. The Windies were bowled out for 149, setting India A a target of 278 to clinch the unofficial Test series.
The tricky wicket at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain had claimed 19 wickets on day two. But it slowed down considerably on day three, as both India A openers settled in to play some aggressive shots. Agarwal and Panchal both hit half-centuries, with the former looking all set for a ton. The duo added 150 runs in 40 overs before left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer finally broke the partnership when he dismissed Panchal for 68. Coming around the wicket, he angled the delivery into Panchal but it straightened enough to beat his bat and hit the top of off-stump.
Then, Chemar Holder – India A’s chief destroyer in the first innings with a five-fer – had Agarwal caught down the leg-side off a full delivery. Holder then struck again in his very next over to remove the captain, Hanuma Vihari. Vihari chased a wide ball, and was at caught at second slip for just one run.
Eswaran and Anmolpreet Singh managed to salvage India from a mini-collapse, ending a good day for their team. They go into the final day at 185 for three, needing a further 93 to win, with seven wickets in hand.