Welcome back. Day 4 of the third Test and the good news from the ground is that it is bright and sunny in St. Lucia today, i sharp contrast to yesterday when the whole day was washed out due to persistent rainfall.
Live Cricket Score of India vs West Indies, 3rd Test, Day 4 at Gros Islet, St Lucia
The match starts 30 minutes early today, i.e. 7 PM IST, to make up for the lost overs. We're hearing that there is an inspection scheduled about 15 minutes prior to start. Stay tuned as we get to the live updates right here.
The news from the ground is that the play will start in 35 minutes, which would be the original start time - 7:30 PM IST.
The super soppers are in action due to a damp outfield. That's why the delay.
Meanwhile, BCCI announced the Indian squad for the Florida T20Is against West Indies.Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh have been left out and will instead play in the pink-ball Duleep Trophy tournament at home. Hardik Pandya and Pawan Negi, who were a part of the team at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, have been axed too.
Alright, we're set for Day 4. Bravo and Brathwaite are out in the middle. And India will start with spin - Jadeja will start the proceedings.
Change in bowling right away. Jadeja is off, Ishant Sharma to bowl now.
Ishant strikes. Short-ball, Bravo sends a top-edge straight to Jadeja at long-on. But it looks like Ishant has overstepped. Wait, given! How is that out now? Ishant had nothing behind the line!
Gregory O'Brian Brathwaite, the third umpire, feels otherwise though. Bravo gets the marching orders and he clearly isn't pleased. Walks back shaking his head. He's made 29 off 101 deliveries. Marlon Samuels is the new man in.
Oooh, the turn! Ashwin comes into the attack and strikes with the very first ball. And he's taken out the big fish Kraigg Brathwaite. The ball turned sharply towards the legside, took a faint edge off his gloves and Saha moves to his left and completes a smart catch.Umpire Nigel Llong raises his finger almost immediately. Brathwaite is disappointed. He's gone for 64 and India have managed to remove both the set batsmen.
Jermaine Blackwood is the new man in.
Most wickets for Indian off-spinners:417 Harbhajan190 R ASHWIN *189 EAS Prasanna156 S Venkatraghavan102 Shivlal Yadav
The ground staff is all waiting on the sidelines. Looks like we will have a rain interruption.
We're inching closer towards the end of this morning session and the Indians are struggling to break the fourth-wicket stand. The partnership between Samuels and Blackwood is now 50-plus. India, meanwhile, have taken the second new ball.
Lunch on Day 4. Even session for both the teams. Ishant Sharma sent back Bravo early in the day for 29, albeit it was a controversial call from the third umpire. Ashwin struck soon after to get rid of the other set batsman - Brathwaite for 64.
Samuels and Blackwood have since then rebuilt the innings with an unbeaten 59-run stand.
Join us in 40 minutes for the second session of Day 4.
Bhuvneshwar breaks the 67-run stand between Blackwood and Samuels with the wicket of the former. Outswingger from Bhuvi, takes an outside edge and flies straight to Kohli at second slip. West Indies four down for 202. Roston Chase is the new batsman.
Meanwhile, West Indies have crossed the 200-run mark.
Edged and taken at first slip! Roston Chase, West Indies' hero from the second game, falls for just 2 off 12 balls. Full credit to Rahane for taking the low catch towards his right.
West Indies have slipped from 202 for 3 to 205 for 6 in a space of four overs.
Two in two for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He's dismissed both the set batsmen in a space of two overs. Samuels falls two short of his half-century.
Third one for Bhuvi in four overs. West Indies captain Jason Holder is the man dismissed this time. Hit him in front of the pads, tad high though but umpire Rod Tucker signals him to go. Holder isn't exactly happy with the umpire's decision.
Debutant Alzarri Joseph is the new man in the middle. The home team has lost four in a heap after Lunch and is down to 212 for 7.
Another one bites the dust! Debutant Joseph goes for a duck ad it is Bhuvneshwar again! Joseph pokes at an outside off delivery and gives away an easy catch to the man at second slip - KL Rahul.
Miguel Cummins walks out to bat.
Bhuvneshwar just about got his fifth wicket there but Rahul at second slip falters. He took the catch in three attempts and but once the ball slipped out of his hands, it touched the ground before Rahul caught it again. Surprised that he even claimed that catch!
Dorwich survives on 12.
Rohit Sharma the culprit this time. And this is his second drop of the match. Dorwich pulled a short delivery, the ball balooned up towards midwicket, Rohit called, covered a fair bit of distance too but couldn't even get his hands under the ball. Virat Kohli is visibly disappointed. Dorwich dropped, yet again on 12.
After two near misses, India have finally managed the ninth wicket. Ashwin removes Miguel Cummins for a 21-ball duck.
Five-for for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His third five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Dowrich is finally dismissed for 18 as West Indies fold for 225 in their first innings. It was going well for the home team but Bhuvi triggered a dramatic collapse after the Lunch break. From 202 for 3 to 225, West Indies lost all seven of their remaining wickets for the addition of just 23 runs to their total. India have managed a healthy 128-run lead.
Join us back in 10 for India's second innings.
Right then, we're back for India's second innings. KL Rahul on strike, Shikhar Dhawan at the other end and Shannon Gabriel with the new ball. India's lead is 128.
Tea taken on Day 4. Rahul and Dhawan have taken India to 31 in their second innings and their total lead is now 159.
Join us back in 15 minutes for the final session of Day 4.
Rahul falls soon after Tea. Miguel Cummins opens his account. Pokes a delivery wide outside off, Brathwaite at second slip takes a low catch and India have lost their first wicket in the second innings.
Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, is back at No. 3 again.
The last time India put an opening stand of 50+ in the 3rd/4th innings of a Test was in Dec 2012 - 86 v Eng, Kolkata.Outside Asia: 137 v SA, Centurion, Dec 2010
Big blow! Kohli falls and Cummins is elated! Trapped plumb in front and the there is a loud appeal. Nigel Llong takes a moment but raises the finger eventually. India two down for 58 runs on the board.
Rahane comes out to bat at No. 4.
Dhawan's horrid game continues. Trapped plumb in front of the middle Chase openers his account. The Indian opener falls for 26 off 48 balls and Rohit Sharma is the new man in the middle. India's lead is exactly 200.
Fifty for Rahane. Virat Kohli stands up and applauds. Along with Rohit, who is hitting freely now, Rahane has led this repair work efficiently. the partnership is now 81 between the two.
So that'll be the end of Day 4 of the third Test. West Indies started well, and looked comfortably placed at 202 for 3 before a dramatic batting collapse, triggered by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saw them ending on just 225. Bhuvi took his third Test fifer as India managed a 128-run lead. But India's second innings did not get off to an ideal start with Miguel Cummins getting rid of both Rahul and Kohli in quick succession. Dhawan was back in the hut soon after. Rahane and Rohit have since then added 85 runs for the fourth wicket stand, at a quick pace, to repair India's innings. Their lead is now worth 285 runs but an overnight declaration looks unlikely.
Join us tomorrow at 7 PM IST for live updates from the fifth and final day of the game. Till then, good night!
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