Cricket Highlights - India vs West Indies 3rd Test, St Lucia: Ashwin, Saha Hold Fort For IND After Early Jitters
India were off to a poor start after losing the first five wickets within the first two sessions. But Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha made sure that the visitors did not lose any more wickets during the last session of play to help India end Day 1 at 234/5. Catch highlights of India vs West Indies third Test here.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 108-run partnership helped India save the blushes after India lost the top order within the first 50 overs of the first day's play of the third Test vs the West Indies in St Lucia. A win will give India a series win with Trinidad remaining. India will also become No. 1 in ICC Test rankings. Catch highlights of India vs West Indies here. (SCORECARD | Play Fantasy Cricket)
03:15 hrs IST: Hope you enjoyed the updates. Join us again tomorrow.
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03:10 hrs IST: So that is the end of the day. The first day completely belonged to the hosts but India managed to fight back in the second half thanks to Ashwin and Saha.
03:05 hrs IST: India scored 104 runs in 38 overs in the last session.ÂÂ
03:00 hrs IST: And that is the end of the day's play! Kudos to Ashwin and Saha who managed to remain unbeaten in the third session. The duo put on a 108-run unbeaten partnership
02:56 hrs IST: 2 back to back fours and the 100 run partnership comes up! Good batting between these two. One more over to go!
02:52 hrs IST: 10 runs from the 88th over!
02:51 hrs IST: Some runs here. Two back-to-back boundaries for Ashwin
02:47 hrs IST: We are coming to the close of play!
02:40 hrs IST: Have to give it to Saha and Ashwin. They have batted really well so far and India have not lost a wicket in this session so far
02:32 hrs IST: 200 comes up for India! Quite a slow and painful one, thanks to a cover drive from Saha
02:30 hrs IST: Saha skies it and it lands safely!
02:27 hrs IST: Joseph could have ended up with his third wicket here but... just missed out!
02:25 hrs IST: Edged............. ooohh! Dropped just in front of the keeper! That was close!
02:23 hrs IST: But now they do! New ball taken in the 82nd over!
02:21 hrs IST: And 80 overs are over and West Indies stick with the old ball! They do not take the new ball!
02:19 hrs IST: Ashwin reaches his seventh half-century in Tests! A brilliant innings from him!
02:16 hrs IST: Ashwin wants to reach his half-century
02:15 hrs IST: Oh that was close! Saha was almost run out!
02:10 hrs IST: After 75 overs, India 177/5 vs the West Indies in their first innings
02:07 hrs IST: Can he convert it this time too? But he will need a lot of support from the other end
02:03 hrs IST: Ashwin is nearing his seventh Test half-century. Interestingly all his Test centuries have come against the West Indies.
02:00 hrs IST: 16 more overs to in the day
01:58 hrs IST: Only 13 boundaries have been hit so far in the 72 overs that have been bowled today
01:53 hrs IST: 21 overs left to go in the day's play
01:50 hrs IST: This is also some piece of news. You can read it here
World Champions West Indies name a 13 man T20 squad & a new captain v India! - https://t.co/VEp1RSzRjA #WIvInd pic.twitter.com/xt3sxBmmne
- ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2016
01:45 hrs IST: Can Ashwin rescue India from the current situation?
01:43 hrs IST: Ashwin has entered the 40s... nearing his 50
01:35 hrs IST: Ashwin and Saha fighting it out in the middle
01:27 hrs IST: New kid on the block Joseph in action!
01:24 hrs IST: And at the end of 65 overs India are 154/5
01:17 hrs IST: Indian selectors Saba Karim and Sandeep Patil seen enjoying the match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium
01:13 hrs IST: No wait! It is a NO BALL from Gabriel! Ashwin gets a life! Wow some excitement finally at Gros Islet
01:12 hrs IST: OUT!!! Ashwin is out! Caught at point!
01:10 hrs IST: Shannon Gabriel, who has bowled 11 overs in the day so far, has come to roll over his arm again
01:05 hrs IST: 29 overs still to go in the day's play ie if all the 90 overs are bowled
01:05 hrs IST: Hardly any action happening at Gros Islet
01:00 hrs IST: 60th over of the day going on right now, 30 more to go! This is quite a boring start to the match
00:55 hrs IST: India edging towards 150-run mark
00:50 hrs IST: Ashwin enters 30s while Saha is still on 1 from 26 deliveries
00:42 hrs IST: Must say, the Windies have come back strongly in this series
00:40 hrs IST: India struggle for runs. They are hardly being able to score runs
00:35 hrs IST: And play restarts
00:33 hrs IST: The hosts are clearly on top
West Indies on top: 43 runs in session, 2 boundaries, 2 wickets. IND 130-5. Photos: https://t.co/2HUbTek8hR #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/ZJ3b6ZrYg3
- westindies (@westindies) August 9, 2016
00:27 hrs IST: And India also lost two additional wickets. Total of 52 overs bowled in the day so far
00:25 hrs IST: Quite an attritional session! Only 43 runs in 29 overs!
00:20 hrs IST: India is batting at 130/5 at tea with Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha batting at 23 and 1 respectively at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium
00:17 hrs IST: And it is tea!
00:15 hrs IST: Will India even reach 200 today with half their side down?
00:12 hrs IST: Wriddhiman Saha joins Ravichandran Ashwin at the crease
00:08 hrs IST: Chase picks up his second wicket as Rahane departed for 35
00:05 hrs IST: Bowled! Rahane is OUT!!!! Big loss this for India
00:00 hrs IST: Ashwin reaches 20
23:55 hrs IST: It is drinks after 47 overs and India are 121/4
23:47 hrs IST: India's run rate has dropped to 2.7! They are batting at 115/4 after 43 overs.
23:43 hrs IST: This guy has done well on his debut, hasn't he?
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23:38 hrs IST: Brilliant yorker there from Gabriel but well defended by Rahane too
23:35 hrs IST: Ashwin reaches doubles figures. Batting at 10
23:30 hrs IST: India need to be steady at the moment. They should try not to lose more wickets. Be patient and see this session through to start with
23:25 hrs IST: Chase continues to bowl. Quite a simple action.
23:20 hrs IST: Chase was Man of the Match for his superb bowling and batting in the second Test
23:18 hrs IST: Spinner Roston Chase has replaced Cummins
23:13 hrs IST: Lovely square drive from Rahane. Beauty. Sadly hardly any crowd to appreciate the shot at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium
23:08 hrs IST: A couple of decades back this run rate would have been considered as good
23:05 hrs IST: 35 overs have been bowled in the day and India are batting at 2.87 runs per over. Slow in this century.
23:01 hrs IST: India started the series on a high but since the end of the second Test West Indies have come back into this series
22:59 hrs IST: Apart from Rahul, no one has impressed yet.
22:55 hrs IST: Quite a poor batting performance this has been from India so far
22:50 hrs IST: India have reached 100! After 32.3 overs of play
22:45 hrs IST: The Indian innings has slowed downÂÂ
22:40 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin holding the fort as of now
22:35 hrs IST: Joseph was the star of the Under-19 cricket World Cup
Pure pace! Is this the future opening seam partnership for West Indies?! HERE - https://t.co/cHfBFb2DOM #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/rM1HuQgwiI
- ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2016
22:30 hrs IST: What a start debutant Joseph has had to his career! Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma --- India's two premier batsmen fall to this 19-year-old pacer
22:25 hrs IST: India are in real trouble here. They are 87/4 immediately after lunch!
22:24 hrs IST: India lose their fourth wicket! Rohit Sharma is OUT!!!! Gone for 9!
22:17 hrs IST: That is some jump from the debutant
Alzarri Joseph celebrates his first Test wicket; Windies have a good session. More: https://t.co/2HUbTek8hR #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/rxVw7lZBo3
- westindies (@westindies) August 9, 2016
22:15 hrs IST: A lot depends on Rahane in this session
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22:11 hrs IST: First ball after lunch. Rohit on strike, Rahane at the non-striker's end and Joseph has the ball
22:10 hrs IST: Welcome back!
21:47 hrs IST: So take a break. Have your lunch or dinner - depending on your location and be back for some more live updates
21:45 hrs IST: Touching moment eh?
TOUCHING MOMENT: Alzarri Joseph gets his first Test cap from Joel Garner. #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/8LmWj5tsQt
- westindies (@westindies) August 9, 2016
21:41 hrs IST: But the session definitely belonged to West Indies who picked three crucial Indian wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Lokesh Rahul
21:37 hrs IST: India 87/3 at lunch. 50 of those runs were scored by Lokesh Rahul.
21:32 hrs IST: And that is LUNCH!
21:26 hrs IST: Rohit is batting well in St Lucia
3rd Test. 22.2: S Gabriel to RG Sharma (8), 4 runs, 86/3 https://t.co/m0Dfh17L0x #WIvInd
- BCCI (@BCCI) August 9, 2016
21:24 hrs IST: This is the first time Rohit is playing in this Test series
21:20 hrs IST: And it is Rohit Sharma who has joined Rahane at the crease
21:15 hrs IST: Oh no! OUT!!! Soft dismissal as Rahul gets caught at backward short leg!
21:10 hrs IST: And Rahul scores his first half-century! Nice brisk innings from him. His form continues
21:05 hrs IST: The Indian batsmen out there are scoring quite easily!
20:58 hrs IST: An interesting fact about him is that, each time he has scored a half-century, he has gone on to make a 100. So effectively he has no half-centuries in the record books
20:55 hrs IST: Rahul is currently on 38 and nearing a half-century
20:50 hrs IST: He scored a brilliant 158 against the West Indies in Kingston
20:45  hrs IST: Meanwhile, on the field, Lokesh Rahul is playing really well. He has carried off from where he left off.
20:38 hrs IST: India's chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil seen there... and Viv Richards calls him a thorough gentleman during commentary!
20:30 hrs IST: India about to reach 50! They are batting really well.
20:25 hrs IST: Meanwhile at the Rio Games, the Indian hockey team is leading 2-0 against Argentina
Meanwhile India playing top hockey. Up 2-0 against Argentina
- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 9, 2016
20:20 hrs IST: A couple of boundaries from the willow of Rahul. He seems to be cruising right now
20:15 hrs IST: After 8 overs of play, India 27/2 with Rahul and Rahane at the crease
20:10 hrs IST: Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane have to build from here
20:07 hrs IST: And what a wicket it was. Probably the world's best batsman at present!
WICKET! #WIvIND India 19/2 (6 Overs).
- westindies (@westindies) August 9, 2016
Kohli c Bravo b Joseph 3.
Joseph has gotten Virat Kohli as his first international wicket.
20:02 hrs IST: And that is the first international wicket for debutant Alzarri Joseph!
19:58 hrs IST: Out! Kohli has departed for only 3 runs! Big blow to India as they are 19/2 within the first half hour of play on Day 1
19:52 hrs IST: Virat Kohli has come in to replace Dhawan
19:50 hrs IST: Only 15 balls bowled, no boundaries hit and India are already a wicket down with nine runs on the board
19:48 hrs IST: Lazy shot that from the opener to be caught behind off the bowling of Gabriel
19:45 hrs IST: And just when we were thinking of a good start for India, Dhawan departs for only 1 run.
19:40 hrs IST: Sad to see empty stadium though at St Lucia
19:35 hrs IST: Good start by Rahul and Dhawan here. They look quite solid
19:30 hrs IST: And it is play in St Lucia
19:28 hrs IST: And Shannon Gabriel will open the bowling for the West Indies
19:25 hrs IST: So the players are out there in the field. Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan will open for India
19:17 IST: West Indies have made two changes. They have included batsman Leon Johnson and young pacer  Alzarri Joseph, who makes his Test debut.
19:10 IST: India have opted for Rohit Sharma for Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja for Amit Mishra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for Umesh Yadav. Skipper Virat Kohli says he is happy to bat first.
19:05 IST: West Indies have invited India to bat first after winning the toss. The Caribbeans have made two changes while the Indians have made three.
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 More than 100 overs were lost in the second Test in Jamaica. India will hope that the elements don't pour water over their hopes of clinching the series at St Lucia. India won the first Test in Antigua by an innings.
Although rankings will not be in Virat Kohli's mind, India have a chance to become the No. 1 Test side again. Australia's poor run in Sri Lanka has handed India the advantage once again.
India have a problem of plenty. With so many options at his disposal, India will probably back their men in form to pick the top five batsmen. Lokesh Rahul should be an automatic choice for the opener's slot. But who will partner him? Murali Vijay has recovered from a hand injury.
India were unable to bowl out West Indies a second time in Sabina Park. Roston Chase, who debuted in this series, came to the home team's rescue with a five-for and then a quality hundred.
The stadium in St Lucia is named after the T20 World Cup winning captain Darren Sammy. The wicket here has bounce and pace and India may review their bowling attack. Someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who can swing the ball, could be a better option than Umesh Yadav.
St Lucia has hosted four Test matches. Only one has produced a result. Brian Lara has the highest individual score here - a double century (209). Kemar Roach, the West Indian pacer, has the best figures of 5 for 42.
West Indies have invited India to bat first after winning the toss. The Caribbeans have made two changes while the Indians have made three.