Defiance, followed by an all-too-familiar collapse and then another show of grit. These were the features of the West Indies’ performance on the penultimate day, which dragged the second and final Test in New Delhi to Day V.
India, though, are well on course for a 2-0 series sweep.
Both overnight batters John Campbell and Shai Hope brought up their centuries, though their partnership didn’t last too long after play resumed on Monday. Thanks to their last-wicket pair of Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales — the duo put on a stubborn 79-run stand — the Windies stretched their second-innings total to 390 and set India a target of 121.
Despite losing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second over to Jomel Warrican, KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan were solid enough to take India to 63/1 at stumps on Day IV. For the series sweep, India are just 58 away with as many as nine wickets in hand.
Getting Jaiswal out early, the Windies had a prime opportunity to put India under a little more pressure. Yes, the slow pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium didn’t come across as devilish for most of the fourth day, but all said and done, it’s a tired track that did offer some purchase for the spinners.
Unfortunately for the Windies, their spinners couldn’t exploit it at all. Rahul and Sudharsan, who returned to the field after an impact injury, had no problem whatsoever in negotiating left-armers Warrican and Khary Pierre to put
on 54 in their second-wicket stand so far.
Precisely, it was Kuldeep Yadav again who triggered the Windies’ collapse in Monday’s post-Lunch session and tilted the game back in India’s favour, after Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Campbell and Mohammed Siraj made Hope chop one back onto the stumps. Kuldeep’s triple strike reduced the visitors to 298/7 from 293/4 before Jasprit Bumrah knocked over Warrican and Anderson Phillip.
The game looked to be over a little after Tea, till Greaves and Seales ensured that it would be a last-day finish. India wouldn’t mind that too much, though.