Yes, India continued to dominate. But, much to the relief of many in the Caribbean and across the world, the West Indies did not fold like they did in Ahmedabad.
India rode on a daddy hundred from Yashasvi Jaiswal and an unbeaten 129 from captain Shubman Gill to post 518 and declare their innings before Tea on Day 2, yet the tourists showed greater fighting spirit and application with the bat, reaching stumps at 140 for 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
With Ravindra Jadeja taking three wickets and looking threatening for more even on a pitch that offered little assistance for sharp turn, India remain well ahead in the second Test and are well-placed to complete a 2-0 sweep. However, the West Indies showed they would not go down without a fight, at least with the bat, after their bowlers were flattened by the class of Yashasvi and Gill. | 2nd Test Day 2 Highlights | Scorecard|
In Ahmedabad, the West Indies lasted a total of 89.2 overs across both innings, succumbing to an innings and 140-run defeat. In contrast, in Delhi, on a pitch more favourable to batters, the tourists batted 43 overs and reached stumps with a glimmer of hope.
Legendary figures Viv Richards and Brian Lara, watching from the stands, would surely have breathed a sigh of relief seeing the West Indies batters display greater grit and resilience. It was a marked improvement from their performance in Ahmedabad, where they appeared lost and completely out of sync with the demands of Test-match batting.
BETTER FIGHT FROM W’INDIES
India lead by 378 runs, but the West Indies can take heart from the resistance they showed with the bat, despite their top-order failing to convert starts into substantial scores. Former India captain Anil Kumble, commentating on the match, praised the improved batting effort but noted that the visitors could have been 140 for 2 instead of 140 for 4, had they shown greater determination in the field.
Alick Athanaze posted the highest score for the visitors on this tour – 41 – but the talented No. 3 was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav in the final session. The left-handed batter, who was looking at ease in the middle, was guilty of throwing it away while trying to play an aggressive shot against Kuldeep.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who showed composure in scoring 34 off 67 balls, was one of Jadeja’s three victims on Saturday. His dismissal also ended a 66-run partnership that had laid a solid platform for the West Indies after the early loss of John Campbell. Campbell was dismissed in unfortunate fashion, sweeping Jadeja straight into the hands of Sai Sudharsan at short leg. Sudharsan held on to the catch but suffered a finger injury in the process, ruling him out for the remainder of the day.
West Indies then lost two wickets in quick succession – Athanaze and captain Roston Chase (0) – but Shai Hope (31 not out) and wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach (14), who replaced Brandon King in the XI, added 33 runs and batted nearly 10 overs to see the team through to the close of play without further damage.
India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal reflected on the nature of the pitch at the end of Day 2.
“The wicket is still pretty good for batting. But we are bowling well. We will look to get them out as quickly as we can,” Jaiswal said.
India will be hoping the pitch breaks down and aids spinners more on Day 3 as they look to wrap up the contest. It remains to be seen whether they will opt to bat again if West Indies are not able to avoid the follow-on. India could have opted to add to their tally on Day 2, but they declared their first innings well before the Tea break.
GILL SPECIAL AFTER YASHASVI HORROR
Shubman Gill hit his fifth Test hundred as captain (AP Photo)
A healthy crowd gathered at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday morning, anticipating a big batting day. However, much to their disappointment, Yashasvi Jaiswal was run out in the second over of play. There was talk of him pushing for a massive score, potentially even a triple hundred, but the Indian opener added just two runs to his overnight tally after a , taking the long walk back to the dressing room with disappointment etched on his face.
“It’s part of the game, so it’s fine,” Yashasvi said, downplaying the morning’s run-out.
Gill appeared momentarily shaken by the dismissal, but the India captain carried on, punishing the West Indies bowlers. He adopted an attacking approach in the morning session, yet was patient and prepared to grind when the bowlers found their lines and lengths.
Gill played a flawless innings to reach his 10th Test hundred and his fifth as captain, becoming only the second Indian captain after Virat Kohli to notch five hundreds in a calendar year. The 25-year-old had earlier scored four centuries, including a double hundred, in his maiden series as captain in England.
He stitched together productive partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Dhruv Jurel. Nitish, promoted to No. 5, was dropped on 20 and could not convert his start, eventually falling for 43, while Dhruv Jurel contributed 44.
India declared immediately after Dhruv’s dismissal, choosing not to utilise all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.