Chase hits magnificent ton in Windies fightback

Roston Chase struck his maiden Test century to lead a tremendous West Indies fightback as the hosts reached 319 for six at tea on the fifth and final day of the second match against India at Sabina Park, here today.
Chase, playing only his second Test match, joined three illustrious West Indies players -- Sir Garfiled Sobers, Collie Smith and Dennis Atkinson -- who scored a century and claimed a five-wicket haul in same test.
The tall batsman, who took five for 121 in India's first innings, was batting at 112 along with his skipper Jason Holder (21) at the tea break.

He weaved two significant - that could well turn out to be match-saving -- partnerships with Jermaine Blackwood (63) and Shane Dowrich (74) to remarkably turnaround the match and frustrate India.
Chase put on 144 runs with Dowrich for the sixth wicket after a raising a 93-run stand with Blackwood in the opening session as they now lead by 15 runs with one session to go.
Post-lunch, Chase and Dowrich looked to bat on for time, but they were not subdued. They looked to attack the Indian bowlers who erred in line and length.

First up, Dowrich reached his third Test fifty off 78 balls and in doing so brought up the 100-partnership with Chase off 162 balls. The West Indies' 250-mark also came up within an hour's play, in the 54th over.

However, Dowrich was given out LBW after the break by umpire Ian Gould off Amit Mishra (2-85), despite the fact that he had an inside-edge. The batsman left shaking his head, but Chase made good on his promise, and duly reached his maiden Test hundred off 175 balls.
He had skipper Holder for company, and by tea time the two weren't looking uncomfortable at the crease at all as the West Indies crossed the 300-mark in the 79th over.
India did take the new ball immediately after the 80th over, but that too didn't provide them any breakthroughs, as the hosts negated the lead and went ahead thereafter. There are now 29 overs remaining in the match, for the visitors to force a result.

Starting at overnight 48 for four, Chase and Blackwood came out with a plan to defy the Indian bowlers. There had been no rain since play on day four had been called off and not a cloud was in sight today.
The visitors started off with Mohammed Shami (2/63) and Amit Mishra (2-85), but Blackwood attacked them both and hit them out of the attack.
(REOPENS FGN 42)
It didn't work as Blackwood smacked his second fifty in the Test off only 41 balls, bringing it up in the 31st over as 79 runs came in the first hour's play. West Indies also crossed the 100-mark earlier in the 25th over.

The duo put 50 off just 54 balls and it seemed as if for once the hosts batting would come good. Ashwin (1/49) then was finally introduced into the attack in the 28th over of the innings, with skipper Virat Kohli opting to hold him back earlier in the session.
Blackwood hit a straight six in his second over but Ashwin got his revenge as he squeezed the batsman for runs bowling from round the wicket. The plan worked and Cheteshwar Pujara too a brilliant diving catch at forward short leg in the 34th over to send Blackwood back to the pavilion.

Chase was then joined in by Dowrich (59 balls, 2 fours), and the two overcame some miscommunication early in the innings to defy the Indian bowling further. After taking his maiden five-wicket haul earlier in the match, Chase then reached his maiden Test fifty off 84 balls and opened up to play some attacking strokes against Mishra, who bowled a predominantly leg-stump line.
The Indian bowling didn't really trouble the duo as they brought up the 50-partnership off 82 balls, and the 200-mark came up for the West Indies in the 50th over. Yadav and Shami did get the ball to reverse later in the session, but couldn't get another success before the lunch break as the two batsmen looked comfortable at the crease.