MYSORE, India – West Indies A team batsman Assad Fudadin made a slow start but blossomed to build a solid half-century on the second day of the first unofficial cricket Test against India A yesterday.
The Guyanese left-hander started the day on four not out and was unbeaten on 86 when the Windies were bowled out for 429 after resuming from 264 for five.
Off-spinner Parvez Rasool took the last three wickets for his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, finishing with five for 116 off 45 overs.
India A reached 124 for three at stumps to give the visitors the advantage as pace bowler Miguel Cummins and left-arm spinners Nikita Miller and Veerasammy Permaul took a wicket each.
The hosts were given an encouraging opening stand of 45 which was broken by Permaul who had Jiwanjot Singh caught behind by Chadwick Walton for 16.
India A suffered a major blow when they lost captain Cheteshwar Pujara to Cummins for just three as they slipped to 49 for two.
Rahul Lokesh and Manpreet Juneja steered the innings with a 60-run third-wicket stand before the West Indies struck again when Rahul was caught by Leon Johnson off Miller for 46.
Juneja, on 47 not out, was partnered by Harshad Khadiwale, who mustered just five runs off 36 in an hour’s batting before the close.
Earlier, Fudadin struggled to find the middle of the bat, but said he decided to keep it simple on a pitch at the Gangothri Glades Cricket Ground which offered help to bowlers.
“This was my first knock in India. On the first day I was still getting used to the conditions and not feeling myself. I had to catch myself on the second day and get used to the conditions a bit better.
“On the first day wickets were falling, so I did not want to take any chances. I had to play it smart,” he told WICB Media.
“I was out of touch a bit but I told myself, ‘There is never a bad time to make runs’ . . . whenever you get runs it is good for yourself and for the team.
“The team target was to bat four sessions and we decided to bat time rather than runs,” added Fudadin.
“The pitch was deteriorating and creating rough for the Indian spinners so I had to be watchful. We decided if we batted a long time we had a chance to look at bowling them out twice.”
Fudadin batted for just under five hours, faced 201 balls and hit 10 fours and a six. He added a crucial 88-run stand for the seventh wicket with Miller, who made 49 with five fours off 86 balls after overnight bat Chadwick Walton fell for 35. (WICB/EZS)
