NORTH SOUND (Antigua) : A dominant India left West Indies staring at a possible innings defeat after they were bundled out for 243 to give the visitors a huge first-innings lead of 323 runs in the first cricket Test here today.
India enforced the follow-on after bowling out West Indies in the final session of day three in 90.2 overs.
At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the hosts were placed at 21/1 (13 overs) at stumps in their second innings, still trailing by 302 runs after the visitors had finished their first innings at 566/8 declared.
Returning from a one and a half year injury layoff, Mohammad Shami (4-66) had done the damage before tea, and Umesh Yadav (4-41) continued afterwards, as the hosts were bowled out with 13 overs remaining in the day. But that was after Shane Dowrich (57 not out, 10 fours) and skipper Jason Holder (36) put on 69 runs for the 8th wicket.
They looked good in the middle and kept the scoreboard ticking for the duration of their partnership, with the West Indies’ 200-mark coming up in the 81st over and their 50-run stand coming off 80 balls.
The new ball was taken thereafter, with R Ashwin (0-43) starting but he soon gave way to Yadav and Shami. Dowrich meanwhile got to his 2nd Test half-century off 75 balls, even as runs started flowing owing to the hardness of the new ball.
But it didn’t last long as Yadav finally induced an edge off Holder in the 86th over, caught behind by keeper Wriddhiman Saha. It was his sixth dismissal of the innings and he equalled the Indian record held by both Farokh Engineer and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yadav then bowled Carlos Brathwaite (0) off the very first ball, as the burly batsman shouldered arms to an incoming delivery. Amit Mishra (2-43) then ended the resistance and bowled Shannon Gabriel (2).
Trailing by 323 runs, the West Indies were asked to follow on, and Ishant Sharma (1-3) managed to remove the in-form Kraigg Brathwaite (2) in the very first over, trapping him LBW. Thereafter, Rajendra Chandrika (9 batting) and Darren Bravo (10 batting) successfully negotiated the remaining overs without further loss.
Earlier, post lunch, it was an improved display by the Indian bowlers who looked to change their line and length from the morning. And the change could be seen almost immediately as Shami started proceedings after the break. He kept both Brathwaite (74 runs) and Marlon Samuels (1) guessing, inducing an edge off the latter in the 49th over.
Four deliveries later, it became a double blow, as Jermaine Blackwood (0) was unable to fend off a sharp rising delivery and was caught at gully by Ajinkya Rahane. (AGENCIES)
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