Shared News | OCTOBER 14, 2018 12:24 IST
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In a space of 16.1 overs, India lost five wickets for 25 runs to move from a comfortable 314 for 4 to 339 for 9.
India were well on course for another comprehensive home series victory after reducing West Indies to 76 for 6 at tea on the third day of the second Test here on Sunday.
After West Indies bowled India out for 367 to concede a 56-run lead, the home team bowlers rattled the Caribbean top-order for the fourth successive time.
Effectively, the West Indies are 20 for six with a late third day finish looking imminent.
The West Indies second innings started with Umesh Yadav on (split) hat-trick but Kraigg Brathwaite (0) survived one delivery before gliding another drifting down leg-side into Rishabh Pant’s gloves.
Kieran Powell (6) edged one off Ravichandran Ashwin to Ajinkya Rahane in the slips.
Shai Hope (28) hit three delightful boundaries off Umesh while Shimron Hetmeyer (17) was trying to be more assertive against spinners in their 39-run stand.
However, a rush of blood saw Hetmeyer give Kuldeep Yadav the charge only to be caught by Cheteshwar Pujara at point.
From 45 for 3, there was not much resistance as Hope was snapped by Rahane when he played a Ravindra Jadeja delivery for the turn to give Rahane his second catch.
West Indies’ biggest hope Roston Chase (6) got a sharp inswinger while Shane Dowrich (0) was played with Umesh getting his ninth wicket of the match.
Surely the wicket had its share of wear and tear but it was not a difficult track where surviving would be an arduous task. Yet, it was another instance of lack of application from the West Indies batsmen with opener Brathwaite and young Hetmeyer playing atrocious shots.
Earlier, Pant missed out on a well-deserved hundred for the second successive time as West Indies bowled out India for 367 at the stroke of lunch.
In a space of 16.1 overs, India lost five wickets for 25 runs to move from a comfortable 314 for 4 to 339 for 9 before Ravichandran Ashwin (35 of 83 balls) made a useful contribution.
His innings, along with the last wicket partnership of 28 runs with an injured Shardul Thakur, could prove to be important in larger context of the match.
West Indies captain Jason Holder (5/56 in 23 overs) used the second new ball to good effect as he completed his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Shannon Gabriel, after yesterday’s erratic performance, came back well to take 3/107 in 20.4 overs.
Holder first got one to rear up from back of length to shatter Ajinkya Rahane’s hopes of a 15th Test hundred. The Indian vice-captain was caught at gully for 80 off 183 balls to give the opposition captain his third wicket. His innings had seven boundaries.
The Rahane-Pant duo added 152 runs for the fifth wicket and once the visitors got the breakthrough, the floodgates were opened.
Pant (92), who added seven more runs to his overnight score, got a short ball from Shannon Gabriel, which he pushed on the rise only to be caught by Shimron Hetmeyer at cover point.
In two consecutive Tests, Pant has been dismissed for identical scores of 92. This time he played 134 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and two sixes.
Ravindra Jadeja (0) and Kuldeep Yadav (2) were quickly sent back by Holder to complete his five-wicket haul. He trapped Jadeja leg-before and sent Kuldeep’s stumps for a walk.
Ashwin, however, was ready to grind it out as debutant Shardul batted with groin strain. Despite feeling the pain, Shardul ran a few singles and patiently waited for the loose balls, hitting four boundaries.
