BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe – Rookie opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul converted his maiden Test hundred into a splendid double and combined with his captain Kraigg Brathwaite to shatter a 33-year-old record for the first wicket, and West Indies took charge of the first Test against Zimbabwe on Monday.
With the rain that plagued the first two days of the match staying away, Chanderpaul and Brathwaite exploited the favourable conditions at the Queen’s Sports Club to propel West Indies to an imposing 447 for six declared in their first innings.
The 26-year-old Chanderpaul, playing only his third Test, was undefeated on 207 after resuming the third day on 101 not out.
He faced 467 balls in a little shy of 10 hours at the crease and struck 16 fours and three sixes, becoming only the 10th West Indies batsman to turn his maiden Test century into a double.
Brathwaite, meanwhile, unbeaten on 116 at the start, made 182 – his second highest Test score and fell short of a second Test double hundred. All told, his knock spanned a shade over eight hours in which he struck 18 fours from 312 balls.
Resuming the morning with their side on top at 221 without loss, the pair extended their opening stand to 336 – marching past the West Indies record of 298 set by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes against England 33 years ago at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
The partnership was also the ninth highest Test opening stand and the first of more than 300 in nearly a decade.
When West Indies eventually declared during the second session, Zimbabwe produced a strong fightback courtesy of Innocent Kaia, who stroked an unbeaten 59 in an opening stand of 63 with fellow newccomer Tanunurwa Makoni, who made 33.
Once the stand was broken, West Indies picked up three wickets for 51 to reduce the hosts to 114 for three at the close – still 333 adrift heading into Tuesday’s fourth day.
“The entire team enjoyed seeing Tage, scoring not only his first hundred, but converting that into a double,” interim West Indies head coach Andre Coley said after play. “It’s something really special not just for him, but for the entire team.
“The fact that we’ve lost so much time in the game, we felt we would still give ourselves a chance to get wickets on a pitch as we have seen is good for batting.
“The fact that we’ve taken three wickets is quite good. Obviously, we’re feeling good that we were able to get some early inroads into the batting, but it will require lots more discipline from us to ensure that we are able to maintain the pressure.”
Anxious to make up for the time lost to the adverse weather and conditions, Brathwaite lifted the tempo from the start, lashing three successive fours in the morning’s third over from left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava, and taking another two off Victor Nyauchi a few overs later.
He raced to 163 at the refreshment break, but he became the first casualty of the innings with lunch on the horizon, lbw missing a sweep at left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza.
Chanderpaul reached his 150 about half-hour before lunch and was unbeaten on 161 at the interval, and he added 37 for the second wicket with Kyle Mayers, who blasted two sixes in 20 from 24 balls before falling in the penultimate over before the interval.
The left-handed Chanderpaul, dropped earlier on 150 off leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta, was handed another life off the same bowler off the first ball after lunch.
He made his chances count, moving into the 180s when he punched Mavuta to the long-off boundary and then inched through the 190s, spending 22 balls over nine runs.
He reached the double-century mark in style when he advanced to Masakadza and struck him for a straight six in the first over after the refreshment break.
Almost unnoticed, Mavuta got Raymon Reifer caught at deep mid-wicket for two, Jermaine Blackwood caught by the keeper for five, Roston Chase caught in the slips for seven, and Jason Holder caught behind for 11 to end with 5-140 from 41 overs, his first fiver in only his third Test.
Kaia, who has so far struck nine fours off 115 balls, then partnered with Makoni to take Zimbabwe safely to tea on 21 without loss.
Pacer Alzarri Joseph made the breakthrough on the stroke of the hour following the resumption, when Mayers pouched an edge from Makoni at slip.
Left-arm spinner Guadakesh Motie got Chamu Chibhabha caught behind for nine, nicking a back-foot drive before Brathwaite, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, struck with the penultimate delivery of the day in his first over, when he comprehensively bowled opposing captain Craig Ervine for 13. (CMC)
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES 1st Innings
(overnight 221-0)
*K. Brathwaite lbw b Masakadza 182
T. Chanderpaul not out 207
K. Mayers b Mavuta 20
R. Reifer c Kaia b Mavuta 2
J. Blackwood c wk Tsiga b Mavuta 5
R. Chase c Ervine b Mavuta 7
J. Holder c wk Tsiga b Mavuta 11
+J. da Silva not out 3
Extras (b6, nb3, w1) 10
TOTAL (6 wkts decl, 143 overs) 447
A. Joseph, G. Motie, K. Roach did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-336, 2-373, 3-383, 4-389, 5-413, 6-435.
Bowling: Ngarava 20-4-69-0 (nb1); Nyauchi 27-6-73-0; Evans 24-3-74-0 (nb2, w1); Masakadza 31-8-85-1; Mavuta 41-5-140-5.
ZIMBABWE 1st Innings
I. Kaia not out 59
T. Makoni c Mayers b Joseph 33
C. Chibhabha c wkp Da Silva b Motie 9
*C. Ervine b Brathwaite 13
TOTAL (3 wkts, 41.4 overs) 114
G. Ballance, +T. Tsiga, B. Mavuta, W. Masakadza, B. Evans, V. Nyauchi, R. Ngarava to bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-84, 3-114.
Bowling: Roach 7-1-23-0; Joseph 9-1-25-1; Mayers 4-2-8-0; Motie 13-7-25-1; Holder 5-0-18-0; Chase 3-0-10-0; Brathwaite 0.4-0-5-1
Position: Zimbabwe trail by 333 with seven first innings wickets standing.
Umpires: L. Rusere, P. Reiffel (Australia).
TV umpires: I. Chabi.
Match referee: J. Crowe (New Zealand).
Reserve umpire: F. Mutizwa.
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