Kingston, Aug 1 : India opening batsman KL Rahul has admitted that a disciplined bowling performance from the West Indies had made it difficult for his side to score quickly but added that the tourists are satisfied with their current lead of 162 in the second Test at Sabina Park.
Responding to West Indies' first innings score of 196, India continued their ascendancy as they made 358 for five when stumps were drawn on the second day.
However, the tourists played at a much slower rate than on the opening day, adding 232 to their overnight score of 126 at a run rate of 2.64 an over.
"Well look, you probably have to give a little credit to the West Indies bowlers as well," Rahul was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"They came in with a set plan this morning, to keep it tight and not give away easy runs. They tried to bowl the fourth-fifth stump channel. The wicket obviously isn't the easiest to bat on. It is a little spongy sometimes, and two-paced. So you couldn't play through the line or go after the bowlers when they bowled those channels. "It's a Test match, you have all the time in the world. We have bundled them out for 180 (196), and we still had four days to go. We were in no hurry, so we could take our time and wait for the loose balls. I think we played really well in the first session. We gave the West Indies bowlers and the lengths and lines they were bowling the respect it demanded. At the end of the day, we have still gotten the amount of runs we wanted to get. We are very happy as a batting unit." The 24-year-old, who scored his third century (158) in his only sixth Test match, also expressed that he intends to be consistent in all three formats.
"The last couple of months, I've been performing well," he said. "I've been consistent in all the three formats and that's what I want to do as a cricketer, to be consistent in all the three formats.
Go out there, and play to the best of my abilities, and play my roles and responsibilities for the team.
"Right now I'm in a good space. I'm only watching the ball and trying to judge the ball and if I think the ball is there to be hit, I'm hitting the ball.
That doesn't change. That's the only thing that doesn't change with T20, one-day or four-day cricket - when the ball is there to be hit, you hit the ball.
That's the only thing that runs in my mind. I'm very happy with the space I'm in and the focus levels have been great." Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara (46) struck a 121-run partnership for the second wicket before the latter was run out in the tenth over after lunch.
Skipper Virat Kohli then added 69 runs for the third wicket with Rahul, who was caught behind by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off fast bowler Shannon Gabriel's delivery.
Although West Indies dismissed Kohli (44) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3) in the final hour of play, batting mainstay Ajinkya Rahane (42 not out) stretched the lead past 150 with wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha (17 not out) joining him on the crease.
Source: ANI
