West Indies player Darren Bravo. Photo / AP
Darren Bravo smashed a second successive century to help the West Indies reach 3-378 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the third and final test against India yesterday.
The left-hander, who hit a brilliant 136 in the last test in Kolkata, was unbeaten on 105 at the break as the tourists added 111 runs to their overnight total of 2-267 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Bravo, cousin of former West Indies batting great Brian Lara, reached his third hundred in 13 tests in style as he square-drove off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for four. He has so far hit 12 fours in his 169-ball knock.
He also added 64 for the unfinished fourth-wicket stand with Kieran Powell, who was unbeaten on 38.
Bravo, 57 overnight, began with a pair of attacking shots, fluently driving debutant seamer Varun Aaron past mid-off and then straight for two fours off the first two deliveries of the day.
India continued to struggle for success on a good batting pitch, grabbing just one wicket in the two-hour morning session.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was rewarded for his perseverance when he had Kirk Edwards (86) caught behind with a delivery that moved away for his first wicket of the match.
Edwards, 65 overnight, looked set for his third century in six tests as he began on an impressive note, flicking and pulling Aaron for two fours in the opening hour.
He cracked 13 fours in his 165-ball knock and put on 164 runs for the third wicket with Bravo to strengthen his team's position after Kraigg Brathwaite (68) and Adrian Barath (62) put together 137 for the opening wicket.
The tourists had suffered a setback even before the first ball had been bowled when key batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was ruled out of the test because of a calf injury.
But the West Indies made the most of winning the toss on a good batting track with the well-set openers.
Off-spinner Ashwin removed Brathwaite and Barath in four overs in the afternoon but there was no respite for India as Edwards and Bravo executed attractive shots.
India took the second new ball in the 85th over, but failed to break the Edwards-Bravo stand.
Edwards, who scored a century on test debut against India in Dominica in July, extended his impressive run as he has so far made two hundreds and three half-centuries in six tests.
Bravo, who cracked a brilliant 136 in the last test in Kolkata, was lucky to survive on 33 when he was dropped by Rahul Dravid at lone slip off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.
India lead the series 2-0 after winning the first test in New Delhi by five wickets and the second in Kolkata by an innings and 15 runs.
- AAP
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