MUMBAI – Darren Bravo tormented India’s bowlers with a classy 166 as West Indies racked up a mammoth 575 for nine in their first innings earlier today, virtually ending the hosts’ hopes of inflicting a whitewash in the final test at the Wankhede Stadium.
The visitors thrashed the home attack on an easy-paced surface on the second day of the third test before debutant paceman Varun Aaron picked up three wickets in four overs to force a mini collapse in the last session.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin added two more to his overnight tally of two wickets as West Indies, trailing 2-0 in the series, added 308 runs to their overnight total.
Bravo continued his rich vein of form, notching up his third ton in the last four tests, his first career century coming against Bangladesh in Mirpur last month.
“I think I am in pretty good form at this point in time and hopefully it can continue,” the centurion told reporters. “It was very important for me to stay positive as much as possible.
“The openers did a tremendous job as well as the number three, Kirk Edwards. When you come in on that platform, try and continue from where they left off.”
The top six West Indies batsmen all made half-centuries, forcing India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to resort to desperate measures, including bringing on Sachin Tendulkar to bowl, in search of wickets on a placid pitch.
Off-spinner Ashwin, who went for 154 runs from 51 overs for his four wickets, did not hide his disappointment with the playing surface.
“It is the first time I have seen a wicket like this (at Wankhede). It is similar to the practice wicket to the left of the pitch, (I) was praying it wasn’t like that,” Ashwin said.
“I don’t know the reason, I’m not a Mumbai boy… Quite disheartening to see the wicket behave the way it did.”
Bravo, the 22-year-old left-hander, brought up his second successive ton with an elegant square-driven boundary off Ashwin and celebrated by kissing his bat before raising it aloft along with his cap.
