West Indies lost eight wickets on the middle day of the second Test, yet enjoyed their best batting day in the five-day format in a long while to stay afloat through John Campbell and Shai Hope at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Bowled out midway through the second session for 248 to concede a first-innings lead of 270, West Indies might have been surprised by Shubman Gill’s decision to enforce the follow-on on a slow surface where the bowlers had to toil for success. When they slumped to 35 for two at tea, a familiar tale of woe seemed on the cards until Campbell and Hope reclaimed some pride with the first century partnership for the Caribbeans in 11 Tests and 22 innings.
Trail by 97 runs
Not since Joshua da Silva and Jason Holder stitched 109 for the sixth wicket against England in Birmingham in July last year, had West Indies managed to eke out a three-figure alliance. Campbell and Hope set the record straight with an unbroken hand of 138 which took their side to a respectable 173 for two at close of the third day. The visitors still trail by 97 but they can take heart from the total lack of bite on a track that has shown few signs of wear and tear. If they can reprise their determination of Day Three, they will almost certainly make India bat again, which might not have been on the hosts’ agenda when the first innings ended.
Mix of attack and defence
Mohammed Siraj provided India the breakthrough in the second innings, thanks to a smart running catch by Gill that sent Tagenarine Chanderpaul packing. When Washington Sundar produced a peach which drifted in and turned away from the left-handed Alick Athanaze to hit off-stump at the stroke of tea, a rash of wickets seemed imminent. But Campbell and Hope, who hadn’t scored a half-century in his previous 31 Test innings, came out all guns blazing.
Kuldeep Yadav celebrates his fifer after dismissing WI’s Jayden Seales. Pics/PTI
Kuldeep Yadav, who had taken his fifth five-for in the morning, was comprehensively negated while there was no joy for the other bowlers either as the boundaries came in a rush. Gill immediately spread the field, after which the two batters dialled down the aggression and played sensibly to frustrate India’s five-pronged attack — Nitish Kumar Reddy didn’t get a bowl all day — no end.
In the morning, India needed only 26 minutes to strike when West Indies resumed on 140 for four, Kuldeep getting one to go on with the angle and past Hope’s outside edge. The left-arm wrist-spinner then got on a roll to pluck out Tevin Imlach and Justin Greaves, after which Siraj forced Jomel Warrican to play on. However, Anderson Phillip defied the Indians in the company of Khary Pierre, their ninth-wicket stand of 46 putting the track in perspective. It needed a Jasprit Bumrah special to get rid of Pierre, but Phillip and Jayden Seales added 27 more to show the top order that there were no demons. For once, the batters heeded the signals, hence a day to remember for the visitors.
6
No. of years since Shai Hope last scored a half-century in Test cricket
11
No. of Tests since West Indies last had a 100-plus run partnership
Brief scores
India 518-5d (Y Jaiswal 175, S Gill 129*, S Sudharsan 87, D Jurel 44, N Reddy 43; J Warrican 3-98) vs WI 248 all out (A Athanaze 41; K Yadav 5-82, R Jadeja 3-46) & 173-2 (J Campbell 87*, S Hope 66*; M Siraj 1-10, W Sundar 1-44)