Debutant off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall says West Indies are in a “good position” despite visitors India edging ahead on yesterday’s first day of the second Test match.

India, put to bat first after losing the toss, are set to resume today at Sabina Park on 264-5.

Captain Virat Kohli scored 76, while Mayank Agarwal supported with 55. Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant are not out on 42 and 27, respectively.

West Indies skipper Jason Holder has taken 3-39 after an impressive display of medium pace bowling. Fellow pacer Kemar Roach has claimed 1-47, while Cornwall bowled a marathon 27 overs for 1-69.

“I think [getting] one [more] wicket would have been comfortable but I think we’re sitting in a good position. We just have to come back tomorrow and take the next few wickets and go forward from there,” the 26-year-old spinner told journalists during the close-of-play press conference yesterday.

Cornwall was named in the regional side line-up as replacement for pacer Miguel Cummins, who was ineffective in the crushing 318-run first-Test loss in Antigua and Barbuda.

Cornwall has been a consistent performer for Leeward Islands and West Indies ‘A’, generally extracting bounce and turn with the ball, as well as offering depth to the lower middle-order batting.

Yesterday, he snared two catches to go with the prized wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara.

“It was a good feeling making my debut. I think the ball came out really nice at the start,” he said.

“Regional cricket and international cricket are two different complete things. I think here it’s more challenging. You’re bowling to better players so some of your good balls the better players play them out.

“Every batsman you just have to have different plans and put the balls in the right areas. We just have to stick to what the conditions are giving you. It wasn’t that lot of spin but you have to keep varying your pace, [and] put the balls in the right areas,” Cornwall continued.

Agarwal, 28, noted that facing the big and towering West Indies spinner was a formidable test.

“I think Rahkeem, he forms very good clusters, he is very consistent and he keeps bowling those areas, so I thought it wasn’t very easy to score off him. He kept hitting those lengths where you’re not very sure whether you want to go back or you want to go [forward],” the India opener told members of the media.

He noted that batting first on a grass-covered surface and contending with Roach and the immaculate Holder were also challenging.

“I think in the first session the ball was doing a bit, and Kemar Roach and Holder bowled great areas and it wasn’t easy because there was a lot of moisture and the ball was doing a bit.

“I think Holder…he was not giving you an inch. He was there pegging in those areas, length and short of a length and he doesn’t give many free deliveries for you to score off. The pressure is always there, he bowls six, seven overs and he bowls three or four maidens. So as a batsman you know you’re not getting much out of him,” Agarwal said.

He expressed satisfaction with the position his team is in heading into day two.

“I think we’re in good position to have just lost five wickets on a track like that. It is very important we continue to pile on runs, continue to pile on as many as we can.”

— Sanjay Myers