DELHI, India, CMC – Spearheaded by Ravindra Jadeja’s three-wicket haul, India grabbed two late wickets to derail West Indies’ spirited batting effort in the final session and seize control at the end of play on the second day of the second Test here on Saturday.
Chasing India’s massive first innings total of 518 for five declared, West Indies were comfortably poised at 106 for two before Jadeja and fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav removed Alick Athanaze and Roston Chase for the addition of just one run, to see the visitors limp to 140 for four at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, still 378 runs in arrears.
The Windies will rely heavily on Shai Hope, who is unbeaten on 31, and Tevin Imlach, who is 14 not out, if they are to avoid the follow-on on Sunday’s third day.
India owed their advantage to left-arm spinner Jadeja, who did the early damage by claiming three of the four wickets to fall.
After West Indies’ openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul did well to see off the new ball threats of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja’s early introduction after just eight overs gained immediate results.
Campbell paddled Jadeja’s first delivery to the fine leg boundary, but could consider himself unlucky when his well-hit sweep shot lodged in the grill of Sai Sudharsan’s helmet stationed at short leg as he took evasive action, to be out caught for 10 with 21 runs on the board.
Chanderpaul and Athanaze took their team to the tea interval without further alarm at 26 for one and steadied the innings during a 66-run partnership for the second wicket.
Athanaze was especially impressive against the spinners, hitting Yadav for a four and a sixth in his third over and then blasting him for two more boundaries to take the score past 50.
Chanderpaul got in on the act too, clobbering Jadeja for two fours in the ensuing over.
He survived after being given out on 26 and the score on 73 when he was adjudged lbw, but his review showed Jadeja’s delivery would have missed leg stump.
But just when the pair looked well set, Chanderpaul edged Jadeja first to slip, where KL Rahul took a juggling catch to dismiss him for 34.
Hope was aggressive from the start of his innings, hitting Bumrah and Jadeja for boundaries in consecutive overs.
Together with Athanaze, they took the Windies past the 100 mark before disaster struck for the West Indies in the space of eight balls.
Nine runs short of a well-deserved half-century, Athanaze attempted to hit a half volley from Yadav onto the onside, but it ballooned off the bottom of the bat to midwicket for Jadeja to take the simplest of catches.
And without troubling the score, skipper Chase was back in the pavilion after he tried to flick Jadeja through the leg side, but only managed to get a leading edge which went straight back to the bowler.
Hope and Imlach ensured there would be no further losses for the Windies in the final session during an unbroken partnership of 33 to see out the day.
Earlier, after resuming on 318 for two, India dominated the opening sessions while adding exactly 200 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Yashasvi Jaiswal only added two runs to his overnight score of 173 before being run out by Chanderpaul at mid-off after he set off for a run but was turned back by his captain, Shubman Gill.
Gill, who started the day on 20, shouldered the responsibility of getting his side up to a massive total, scoring his 10th Test century on his way to ending unbeaten on 129 from 196 balls, inclusive of 16 fours and two sixes.
He received good support from Dhruv Jurel, who made 44, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 43, before declaring the innings before tea.
Jomel Warrican was the Windies’ best bowler with 3-98.
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