New Delhi, Oct 12 (UNI) West Indies find themselves gasping at 35 for 2 in their second innings at tea on Day 3 of the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here today, still smarting from a merciless morning session that left their first innings in ruins.
India bowlers, led by the wily Kuldeep Yadav, relentless Mohammed Siraj, and crafty Washington Sundar, have shown once again why the visitors struggle against spin and pace in Indian conditions.
The morning belonged to Kuldeep, whose left-arm wrist-spin had West Indies batting like a school team in front of a masterclass. By lunch, the visitors were tottering at 217 for 8, eventually all out for 248 in 81.5 overs.
Kuldeep’s five-wicket haul was a lesson in flight, dip, and turn. He tore through the middle and lower order, with Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, and Justin Greaves succumbing to his clever variations.
Khary Pierre tried to hang on, scoring 23 runs with three boundaries, but Jasprit Bumrah’s perfect length delivery bowled him out, ending the ninth-wicket stand. Jayden Seales looked to fight back, belting two boundaries off Kuldeep, but the spinner’s decisive googly trapped him lbw, confirmed by DRS, leaving the visitors stunned.
Siraj and Bumrah provided the pace support, rattling Teginarine Chanderpaul with bounce and movement, while Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja bowled disciplined spells that allowed no room for comfort. The West Indies’ first innings was a display of India’s perfect blend of spinners and pacers working in harmony, a combination that left the visitors frustrated and searching for answers.
The second innings began under immediate pressure. John Campbell and Chanderpaul tried to rebuild with some stylish drives and paddle sweeps, while Alick Athanaze offered glimpses of fight, hitting a boundary off Siraj. But Washington Sundar struck on the stroke of tea, uprooting Athanaze’s off-stump for seven with a perfect delivery that drifted in and ripped past the outside edge.
Earlier, Siraj had trapped Chanderpaul in the air, only for Shubman Gill to complete a sensational diving catch at mid-on, leaving the visitors reeling at 35/2.
India, having declared at 518/5, remain firmly in control. Kuldeep’s artistry, Siraj’s fiery pace, Sundar’s sharp spin, and Jadeja’s precision have turned the game into a masterclass in dominance.
West Indies, proud as they are, will have to summon all their courage if they hope to survive, let alone challenge, on a pitch that has become a battleground for India’s bowlers.
Score at tea, Day 3:
West Indies 2nd innings: 35/2 in 14.3 overs (JD Campbell 18, Athanaze 7)
West Indies 1st innings: 248 all out
India 1st innings: 518/5 declared in 134.2 overs
