Three wickets from test debutant Praveen Kumar in the final hour before lunch left West Indies reeling on 119 for five in their first innings in the first Test against India on Tuesday.
The fast-medium bowler exemplified the discipline of India’s bowlers, after West Indies continued from their bedtime total of 34 for one, in response to the Indians’ first innings total of 246 on the second day at Sabina Park.
Kumar, bowling a metronomic full length around the line of off-stump, and gaining movement both ways flattened the West Indies middle-order.
He had Adrian Barath caught behind for the West Indies top score so far of 64, playing defensively forward to a well-pitched delivery that moved away.
The diminutive opener slammed nine fours and one six from 122 balls in just over 2¾ hours, and put on 56 for the third wicket with compatriot Darren Bravo.
In his next over, Kumar had left-hander Bravo also caught behind for 18, playing defensively forward, before Brendan Nash was caught at third slip for one to leave West Indies wobbling on 102 for five.
Ishant Sharma had given the visitors an early breakthrough, when he trapped veteran Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for three, playing forward, but offering no stroke to a delivery moving back in the second over of the day.
But the Indians were put on the back-foot, when Bravo joined Barath, and they mixed sound defence with aggression.
A sweep off Harbhajan Singh, bowling off-spin, brought Barath his fourth boundary to deep fine leg, releasing some of the early pressure, and a cut off Sharma through backward point for the little opener’s fifth four kept the momentum going.
A drive over the top of extra cover off Harbhajan brought Bravo his first boundary, and this was followed by a majestic extra cover drive off Sharma for his second.
Fortune deserted Sharma however, when two deliveries later, Bravo, on nine, edged a loose drive, and Raina failed to hold a low, difficult chance diving to his right at third slip.
Harbhajan continued to feel the burden of the punishment from the two batsmen, when Barath sashayed down the pitch and drove him authoritatively through extra cover for another four, before whipping Kumar through mid-wicket for a boundary.
Barath reached his 50 from 116 balls, when he lofted leg-spinner Amit Mishra’s first delivery to the long-on boundary for his eighth boundary, and celebrated with a six over the same position next ball – but Kumar interrupted the flow of runs.
