Kolkata, Nov 15: VVS Laxman hit an unbeaten 176 while MS Dhoni plundered 144 (off 175 deliveries) to give India control of the Kolkata Test against the West Indies being played at the Eden Gardens. Laxman and Dhoni’s centuries on Day 2, in addition to Rahul Dravid’s 119 on Day 1, helped India declare at the mammoth score of 631. Immediately after the declaration, the hosts reduced the visitors to 34 for the loss of two wickets when bad light stopped play.

India began the day five wickets down with their first innings score at 346. Fidel Edwards created enough problems for Yuvraj Singh with his pace and short-pitched deliveries but it was Darren Sammy who reaped the benefits of Edwards’ hard work; the West Indies skipper had the southpaw trapped lbw within the first hour of the morning session. Yuvraj made 25 and India were 396 for six at the loss of his wicket.

VVS Laxman brought up his 17th Test century shortly after Yuvraj’s departure by flicking a Darren Sammy delivery to the boundary. The Laxman-Dhoni pair added 224 runs for the seventh wicket which took the Indian total past the 600-run mark.

While Laxman was happy to keep the scoreboard ticking in his inimitable style, Dhoni savaged the West Indies bowling attack. The Indian captain reached his 100 off just 147 deliveries (8x4, 2x6) before he was eventually dismissed by Kemar Roach for 144 (10x4, 5x6), four short of his highest score in Test cricket.

Dhoni’s dismissal brought R Ashwin to the crease but the Indian offspinner wasn’t given too much of an opportunity to have a bat; India declared their first innings at 631 for the loss of seven wickets shortly after tea. Laxman, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on 176; this was his fifth Test century at the Eden Gardens.

The visitors’ fortunes took a further beating when pacer Umesh Yadav picked up the wicket of Adrian Barath (1) in just the second over of the innings. R Ashwin then got rid off Kraigg Brathwaite in the 12th over to leave the West Indies floundering at 30 for two.

Bad light, which had forced an early lunch in the morning session, once again played spoilsport, forcing the game to be stopped 50 minutes earlier than scheduled. West Indies were 34 for two at stumps, trailing India by 597 runs with eight wickets remaining in their first innings.

Brief scores:

At end of Day 2: India 1st innings 631/7 decl. in 151.2 overs (VVS Laxman 176*, MS Dhoni 144, Rahul Dravid 119, Kemar Roach 2/106); West Indies 1st innings 34/2 in 12.0 overs (Kirk Edwards 12*, Darren Bravo 4*, R Ashwin 1/21)

At end of Day 1: India 1st innings 346/5 in 87.3 overs (Rahul Dravid 119, VVS Laxman 73*, Gautam Gambhir 65, Fidel Edwards 1/45)