IND vs WI | Windies counterattack after following on to frustrate India on eventful Day 3

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

30

The second Test between West Indies and India remained well and alive at the end of Day 3 with all three results possible at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The hosts earned a 270-run first innings lead and forced the follow-on, whereafter Shai Hope and John Campbell scored unbeaten fifties each.

Shai Hope and John Cambell stitched together a century stand for West Indies in the final session on Day 3 against India in Delhi

Brief score: WI 248 (Athanaze 41, Hope 36; Kuldeep 5/82) & 173/2 (Campbell 87*, Hope 66*; Siraj 1/10) trail IND 518/5d by 97 runs 

Resuming from an overnight score of 140/4, West Indies were faced with Jasprit Bumrah from one end and Kuldeep Yadav for one other in a lethal start to the morning. Nevertheless, incumbent batters Tevin Imlach and Shai Hope extended their partnership slowly but surely and just as it was on the brink of 50, the wrist-spinner produced an absolute ripper that beat Hope's outside edge and rattled his off-stump to send him packing for 36. Thus began a procession of wickets, as Kuldeep got rid of Imlach in his next over by pinning him plumb in front and meted out the same treatment to Justin Greaves at the stroke of drinks. Three balls after resumption, Mohammed Siraj's reverse swing had Jomel Warrican play on as the Caribbean outfit suddenly found themselves reeling at 175/8. Even as the inevitable loomed, Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip put up a clinic of resistance, the duo picking their moments to play shots as they saw the team through to Lunch without any further scars with their partnership bordering on 50. However, it took Bumrah just five balls after the break to hoop the red cherry through Pierre and into the stumps and after a gutsy 13-run cameo from Jayden Seales, Kuldeep finally sealed his fifth fifer in Tests to earn India a lead of 270 runs.

Shubman Gill surprisingly chose to enforce the follow on, despite India having bowled 80-plus overs in the first innings, and became the first India captain to do so since 2015 when the lead is under 300. Nevertheless, the decision quickly reaped dividend when Mohammed Siraj had Tagenarine Chanderpaul caught to a diving Gill at short midwicket in his fourth over with the new ball. Washington Sundar doubled the misery in the last over preceding Tea with a jaffa that drifted into Alick Athanaze before turning sharply in the other direction to send the off-stump pegging, and leave West Indies in a spot of bother at 35/2.

Hope nearly departed the very first ball of the third session when he edged one to slip but was saved by a bump ball call, but the brake seemed to have flicked a switch in the batting side. John Campbell decided to take the game and danced downa against Jadeja's third delivery to dispatch him over long-on for a maximum before Hope repeated the antic against Sundar the next over. However, Sundar responded brilliantly by having Campbell on the rope thrice -- two reviews proved unsuccessful due to an umpire's call, while an out decision was reversed after the third umpire adjudged the ball had brushed Campbell's gloves before it hit the pad in a tentative decision. Nevertheless, the spell did little to alter Campbell's approach, as the introduction of Kuldeep was met with a six and four to bring up a first fifty for a Windies batter on the tour. The approach meant the Men in Maroon scored over run-a-ball through the first 10 overs of the third session, forcing Gill to finally bring Bumrah into play in the 33rd over of the innings. Campbell and Hope remained unbothered, the latter eventually bringing up a 79-ball half-century much to the joy of the Windies dugout. By the time Stumps were called, the partnership had inflated to 138 runs with Campbell unbeaten on 87 and Hope on 66 for company, while the lead had stunted down to 97 runs.

Boom Boom!

yes!

Superb!

Nice!

Stunner!

Fifty!

Fifer!

Well Deserved

50!

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