Gayle... scored 154 against top Indian side Railways. - File OPENING BATSMAN Chris Gayle emerged from his fragile Test form with a commanding century as the West Indies enjoyed fruitful batting on the opening day of their three-day game against India's Ranji Trophy champions Railways at the Nehru Stadium yesterday.
The West Indies, electing to bat in the warm-up game ahead of the October 30 third Test, reached an imposing 297 for two at the close, with Daren Ganga not out on 66 and Marlon Samuels yet to score.
The left-handed Gayle, who has averaged only 18 in his four Test innings on the tour so far, cracked a shot-filled 154 and shared in a double century second wicket alliance with Ganga after steady 71-run opening stand with fellow Jamaican Wavell Hinds (50).
The West Indies have already lost the three-match Test series, after India secured won the first Test in Mumbai by an innings and 112 runs, and the second on Sunday in Chennai by eight wickets for a winning 2-0 series lead.
Gayle, following his Test scores of seven, 42, 23 and 0, punished the Railways bowling with 23 fours and two sixes - a lofted extra-cover drive off spinner Kulamani Parida and a powerful stroke off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik that cleared the long-on boundary.
He brought up his hundred by hammering Kartik to the mid-wicket boundary and had faced 293 balls before he was bowled by pacer Harvinder Singh, pushing down the wrong line, in the day's penultimate over.
Hinds was also very aggressive for his even 50, crashing 11 boundaries in an entertaining 59-ball stay at the crease that ended when he edged Parida to Jacob Martin, who took a low diving catch at second slip.
Ganga and Gayle gathered 225 runs for the second wicket, and the West Indies A team captain, a last-minute replacement for the ill Brian Lara on the tour, had already stroked 11 boundaries in his unfinished half century knock against the national champions at stumps.
"Daren had a very organised knock, although he played the support role for (Chris) Gayle for most of his innings," team manager Ricky Skerritt told CMC Sport.
Skerritt was encouraged by the team's effort yesterday but appeared cautious about expectations for the third Test.
"I am very happy with what I saw today, obviously we have to be able to translate this kind of batting at the right time in the big matches, but they really played with maturity today," Skerritt said.
The touring team rested captain Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mervyn Dillon and Pedro Collins, who is nursing a back injury, while giving Ganga his first appearance on the tour. Ridley Jacobs is leading the team.
The West Indies are anxious to rebound for a win in the third Test in Kolcata, team coach Roger Harper says "to try and end the series on a positive note", after their first series loss to India in 24 years and 25th loss in their past 29 Test matches on tour.
SCOREBOARD
West Indian first innings
C. Gayle b Harvinder Singh 154
W. Hinds c Martin b Parida 50
D. Ganga not out 66
M. Samuels not out 0
Extras (b5, lb5, nb17) 27
Total (two wkts, 92 overs) 297
Fall: 1-71, 2-296.
Bowling: Harvinder Singh 11-2-37-1, Zakir Hussain10-1-41-0 (1nb), Yadav 15-3-35-0 (6nb), Kartik 29-7-78-0 (9nb), Parida 19-6-62-1, Singh6-1-25-0, Khanolkar 2-0-9-0.
