India restrict West Indies Board’s XI to 67/3 at lunch

India dished out a disciplined bowling effort to restrict West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI to 67 for three at lunch on the opening day of their final warm up match here on Thursday. Medium pacer Stuart Binny (1/8), young right-arm fast bowler Shardul Thakur (1/13) and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/18) picked up a wicket each for India.

Jermaine Blackwood (12 not out) and Vishaul Singh (2 not out) were at the crease at the break.

Earlier, opting to bat after winning the toss, home side opener John Campbell (34) and skipper Leon Johnson (3) shared 27 runs for the first wicket stand before Thakur got the first breakthrough for India in the eighth over by picking up the wicket of Johnson caught by Binny.

Campbell played fluently for his 34 runs and struck six boundaries before he was stumped by Wriddhiman Saha off Ashwin. One-down Shai Hope made 11 off 29 fours with the help of one boundary but he too perished soon, caught by Ashwin off Binny’s bowling.

Mohammad Shami, returning from injury, went wicketless in the first session and was the most expensive bowler for India giving away 19 runs from his five overs. Pacer Ishant Sharma, who played in the first warm-up game (July 9-10), was not named in the match which can have 13 players a side (11 batting, 11 fielding).