Ojha double strike stalls West Indies progress

Yuvraj Singh catches the ball during a practice session ahead of their first test cricket match against West Indies in New Delhi November 5, 2011.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha struck twice in the morning to reduce West Indies to 69 for two wickets at lunch on the opening day of the first test on Sunday.

Kraigg Brathwaite (29) and Darren Bravo (10) were together at the break, both looking far from comfortable against the Indian spinners, who managed substantial turn on an opening-day track at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Brought into the attack in the 10th over, Ojha dropped Kieran Powell (14) off his sixth delivery but made amends when he returned to trap the batsman leg before in his next over.

After his captain Darren Sammy had won the toss and opted to bat first, Powell hit two streaky boundaries off the first over sent down by Ishant Sharma and also survived a couple of leg before appeals.

The turn Ojha generated prompted Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to press Ravichandran Ashwin, who made his test debut alongside paceman Umesh Yadav, into service from the other end and the pressure paid off.

Ojha struck again in the 24th over when the in-form Kirk Edwards (15) drove forwards and the spinner took a return catch.

Both Brathwaite and Bravo survived some awkward moments but West Indies would be happy with the fact that they saw through the remainder of the morning session.

(Editing by John O'Brien; To comment on this story, email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)