India stretch lead after tail-ender’s bizarre duck

An unbroken century stand between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane has put India in a dominant position after three days of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua.

Having dismissed the home side for 222 to take a lead of 75, captain Kohli and vice-captain Rahane defied the best efforts of their persevering opponents on an energy-sapping afternoon in putting on 104 for the fourth wicket to guide the tourists to 3-185 at the close, a lead of 260.

India had spent most of a bizarre morning session labouring to claim the final two wickets of the home side's first innings as captain Jason Holder found sturdy support from No.10 Miguel Cummins in putting on 41 for the ninth wicket.

Having slipped from 5-174 to 8-179 late on day two, Kohli and company would have been expecting to finish the job swiftly at the start of play. 

However they did not count on the defiance of Cummins, who hung around with Holder for an hour-and-a-half without getting off the mark.

When the partnership was finally broken – Holder was caught behind off Mohammed Shami for 39 - Cummins saw last man Shannon Gabriel pick up two singles immediately. 

Attempting to get his first runs, the tail-ender was bowled having a swing at Ravindra Jadeja to give the left-arm spinner his second wicket of the innings.

In facing 45 deliveries for his defiant duck, and spending 95 minutes in the middle without getting off the mark, Cummins goes into the record books for the second longest innings in Test cricket for someone dismissed without scoring.

That record is still held by New Zealander Geoff Allott, who survived for 101 minutes before falling for nought against South Africa in Auckland in 1999.

Rahane, who top-scored with 81 in his team's first innings total of 297, will resume on the fourth morning on 53 alongside Kohli on 51, the Indian captain displaying exaggerated care through his innings that featured just two boundaries against a disciplined but luckless attack.

Kemar Roach was the most unfortunate of the West Indies bowlers as Rahane was dropped at extra-cover early in his innings and then, within sight of 50, Holder declined to review a not out verdict to an lbw appeal against the same batsman when television replays showed the decision would have been overturned.

Rahane had joined Kohli at 3-81 after Roach produced a superb delivery to breach the defence of Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara started brightly in getting to 25 but the pacer claimed him for the second time in the game, bowled between bat and pad to give the fast bowler his fifth wicket of the match.

Roston Chase's off-spin had earlier accounted for both openers, with Mayank Agarwal adjudged leg-before attempting to sweep while KL Rahul was bowled round his legs trying a similar shot.

Longest ducks in Test cricket (minutes)

101 – Geoff Allott, NZ v SA, Auckland, 1999 (77 balls)

95 – Miguel Cummins, WI v Ind, Antigua, 2019 (45 balls)

81 – Jimmy Anderson, Eng v SL, Leeds, 2014 (55 balls)

72 – Peter Such, Eng v NZ, Manchester, 1999 (51 balls)

50 – Richard Ellison, Eng v Ind, Mumbai, 1984 (52 balls)