3rd Test, Day 4: Bhuvneshwar's five-for puts WI on the back foot; India take 285 runs lead

St. Lucia, Aug 12: India lost three important wickets in KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in their second innings but managed to put up 157/3 at stumps on day four of the third cricket Test against West Indies, here on Friday.

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Ajinkya Rahane (51*) Rohit Sharma (41*) brought the visitors in commanding position as India extend their overall lead to 285 runs after bundling out West Indies for 225.

Opener Rahul (27) and Dhawan (28) gave India a quick start, possibly indicating that the Indian skipper would go for getting a result from the rain curtailed Test match by inviting West Indies to bat after putting up a decent total on the score board. India lost all three of their wickets in their attempt to accumulate quick runs.

But India's man in form Virat Kohli failed to touch the double figure mark in the second consecutive innings after changing his batting order and promoting himself at No. 3. Kohli scored just four runs in the second innings, just one run more from his previous innings score of 3.

Earlier, paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar ripped apart the West Indies batting order in a sensational spell as India took command of the proceedings on day four.

The lean paceman came up with a burst of five for 14, his third fifer in Test cricket, to help India bowl out the hosts for 225 in their first innings and take a lead of 128 runs.

The visitors then raced to 31 for no loss at tea to take their overall lead to 159. After lunch, India made good use of their second new ball that was only three overs old.

Kumar went on to bowl unchanged for 10.4 overs and completely changed the direction of the game with his consistent line and length.

West Indies, who had been placed at a comfortable 194 for three at the lunch break, collapsed to 225. The 200-mark had come up for them in the 87th over, and thereafter the havoc began.

Kumar first removed Jermaine Blackwood (20), caught at second slip by skipper Virat Kohli, thus ending his 67-run partnership with Marlon Samuels (48. Samuels was the next to go, two overs later, set up beautifully with a slew of outswingers and playing off an inswinging delivery.

Ravindra Jadeja (1/27) then removed Roston Chase (2) at the other end, and the hosts were really struggling at this juncture with three wickets down for just three runs.

Jason Holder (2) was trapped by Kumar in the 94th over and Alzarri Joseph (0) was caught in slip cordon in the 96th, offering catching practice.

R Ashwin (2-52) then accounted for Miguel Cummins (0) as Kumar searched for his fifth wicket even as Shane Dowrich (18) was dropped twice in successive overs, first in slips by KL Rahul and then at short midwicket by Rohit Sharma, who dropped a skier.

Finally, in the 104th over of the innings, the medium pacer celebrated his achievement with Dowrich trapped before the wickets as the West Indies lost six wickets for 23 runs.

Thereafter, Shikhar Dhawan (13) and KL Rahul (15) played out the five overs without loss.

Earlier, India removed both overnight batsmen but the West Indies continued to defy the visiting bowlers.

Samuels (39) and Jermaine Blackwood (20) added 59 runs for the undefeated fourth wicket in an extended morning session as rain stayed away today even as wet outfield prevented an early start.

Starting at overnight score of 107 for 1, Brathwaite (64) and Bravo (29) took to the crease. The conditions were a bit like the first morning with the pitch feeling fresh. Jadeja and Mohammed Shami got things underway, with Ishant Sharma soon taking over from the spinner.

The ploy was to attack Bravo with the short ball, even if only one fine leg fielder was provided to the bowlers, especially Ishant. But he crammed the batsman for space and he gave into his habitual urge, pulling straight to Jadeja in the 56th over.

The umpires checked for no ball and it seemed that Ishant had overstepped marginally but the third umpire ruled in the bowler's favour.

It became a double blow for the West Indies, as R Ashwin (1*/51) removed Brathwaite at the other end three overs later, the batsman gloving down leg side and caught behind.

It brought the proceedings to life, with only a small chance of result possible when play had started. But Blackwood and Samuels put on another counter-attacking partnership to stall India's progress.

For once, the former was subdued and didn't overtly attack the bowlers. There was a sharp chance in the 62nd over off Jadeja, when the ball lobbed up and Rohit Sharma diving backwards at forward short leg only managed to get a hand to it.

The fielder was later hit on the helmet grille, to go with a hit at the back of the helmet on day two, but he was safe and continued fielding, as the 150-mark came up in the 63rd over.

At the other end, Samuels took on both Jadeja and Ashwin, attacking them in a measure approach and using his feet well.

He used the aerial route on occasion, hitting a few lusty blows including a straight six against the off-spinner and brought up the 50-partnership off 132 balls, even as India took the new ball as soon as it became available.