New Delhi: India were made to toil through an extended afternoon session on day four as West Indies reached 361/9 in 109 overs and lead by 91 runs at tea in the second and final Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3-92, while Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah made the second new ball count by picking vital scalps. But the final breakthrough remained elusive for India, who have been on the field and under bright sunshine for nearly 191 overs.
Shai Hope registered his third Test century, a composed 103 laced with 12 fours and two sixes, anchoring West Indies’ resistance. But his being castled by Siraj triggered a collapse, as the West Indies slipped from 271/3 to 311/9, with Kuldeep and Bumrah running through the middle and lower order.
Yet, India couldn’t close out the innings despite a 30-minute extension, as Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales showed commendable temperament and defiance through their 50-run stand coming in 73 balls. In an innings built on grit and application, Greaves (35 not out) and Seales (18 not out) have ensured that there’s a possibility of the match going into day five.
Even if the last wicket falls early in the final session, India will need to bat positively and with care to chase down a target that could stretch beyond a hundred. With the pitch slowing down and the ball having some turn and bounce, the final phase of the match promises a tense finish.
The middle session began with Hope getting a boundary off Kuldeep, before getting an outside edge off Siraj on the second new ball, helping him bring up his first Test hundred in eight years. A single from Roston Chase then ensured that the West Indies entered the lead, and India would need to bat again to win the match – the last time they batted after enforcing a follow-on was in a win over England in Ahmedabad in 2012.
Siraj finally provided the breakthrough when he foxed Hope with a cross-seam delivery having low bounce and took the batter’s inside edge to rattle the middle-stump. Tevin Imlach took a four and six off Kuldeep in the leg-side, before the wrist-spinner had the last laugh by trapping the wicketkeeper-batter lbw at the stroke of drinks break.
Low bounce again did the trick for India when Chase was too early into a flick off Kuldeep, and the leading edge was caught by mid-wicket diving to his left. One brought two for Kuldeep as Khary Pierre went for an expansive slog and was caught by mid-off.
Bumrah joined the wicket-takers’ list when his inswinger sent Jomel Warrican’s off-stump on a cartwheel ride and then drew a thin edge of Anderson Philip’s forward prod, which was caught by Dhruv Jurel.
With Greaves and Seales hanging around to keep the scoreboard moving and hit boundaries occasionally, the session was extended by 30 minutes. But India failed to get the final wicket as Greaves ended the session with a lofted over mid-on off Sundar, as his partnership with Seales crossed the half-century mark.
Brief Scores: India 518/5 in 134.2 overs trail West Indies 248 and 361/9 in 109 overs (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 103; Kuldeep Yadav 3-92, Jasprit Bumrah 2-37) by 91 runs
IANS
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