Reports | Gowtham, Agarwal star as India A inch closer to series win against West Indies A

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.

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.