India fielded for precisely 200 overs since the middle of day two, and what at first seemed like a walk towards a 2-0 series victory turned into a day of hard work. They will now return on day five to secure the victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
India ended day four’s play at 63/1 in 18 overs, having set a moderate aim of 121 and had an undefeated pair of B Following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s early loss, Sai Sudharsan (30) and KL Rahul (25) took them to safety at stumps. Even though the hosts only need to score 58 more runs to win the series, getting there wasn’t an easy journey.
Few would have foreseen the fierce comeback that would ensue when the West Indies resumed their second innings on day three, fifty minutes after lunch. They were struggling at 35/2 when Tagenarine Chanderpaul mishandled the hook off Mohammed Siraj and Alick Athanaze was dismissed to Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea.
However, Shai Hope and John Campbell had other ideas. The West Indies’ comeback was anchored by their third-wicket partnership of 177, which extended the game into days four and five. In his 50th innings, Campbell achieved his first Test century with a score of 115, and Hope ended an eight-year run without a century with a cool-headed 103.
They worked together to create a story of resistance and combat that had been absent from the West Indies’ most recent red-ball matches. West Indies displayed the kind of spirit that supporters have long craved, from getting bowled out in three days in Ahmedabad to extending the match into day five in New Delhi despite being forced to follow-on.
Under strong daylight, India’s bowlers, who had appeared to be in control for much of the first innings, were forced to work hard. West Indies went from 293/4 to 311/9 thanks to three wickets each from Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. The final wicket pair, Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves, who batted out 25.2 overs and added 79 runs, making it the second-best partnership of the year for the West Indies, further irritated them.
With a knock that combined grit and prudence, Greaves stayed undefeated at fifty, and Seales contributed a useful thirty-two. Although it was a brave move to enforce the follow-on after 81.5 overs in the first innings, India may have overestimated the opposition’s remaining strength.
Rahul and Sudharsan navigated the last session with calm, guaranteeing no more mishaps on a sluggish pitch with occasional spin. Even while the goal is modest, the game has already served as a reminder that, in its finest form, Test cricket still requires patience, tenacity, and unexpected turns.
Even after Bumrah got the old ball to reverse and Jadeja threatened both edges, Campbell and Hope remained unfazed in their combination to keep the scoreboard ticking as they resumed day four from a 97-run deficit.
Campbell celebrated achieving the milestone by taking off his helmet and soaking up the cheers from the dressing room. He achieved his century in spectacular manner with a powerful slog-sweep off Jadeja going over the long-on fence.
After that, he slashed Mohammed Siraj for two boundaries, and the West Indies survived the first hour without any injuries. However, Campbell was dropped on 111 when the outside edge fell between keeper Dhruv Jurel and first slip following a motivational speech by KL Rahul during the drinks break.
Campbell attempted an extended reverse-sweep with three fielders in the off-side area, but was caught lbw by a faster delivery from Jadeja for 115. Before captain Roston Chase clubbed and reverse-swept the off-spinner for six and four to cut the West Indies’ deficit to less than fifty runs at lunchtime, Hope maintained his composure by smashing Washington Sundar for four.
Hope reached his first Test hundred in eight years at the start of the middle session after getting an outside edge off Siraj on the second new ball. The last time India batted after enforcing follow-on was in a victory over England in Ahmedabad in 2012. Roston Chase’s single then guaranteed that West Indies would take the lead and that they would have to bat again to win the match.
The breakthrough was eventually made by Siraj when he had Hope chop on his stumps. Kuldeep had the final laugh after trapping the wicketkeeper-batter leg before wicket with a four and six from Tevin Imlach in the leg-side.
When Roston Chase was too early into a flick off Kuldeep and the leading edge was collected by mid-wicket, low bounce once more worked in India’s favor. Khary Pierre attempted an expansive slog but was caught by mid-off, and Kuldeep took two wickets.
When Bumrah’s inswinger sent Jomel Warrican’s off-stump on a cartwheel ride and then dragged a thin edge of Anderson Philip’s forward prod, he was caught by Dhruv Jurel, adding him to the list of wicket-takers.
The session was prolonged by half an hour, with Greaves and Seales staying behind to keep the scoreboard ticking over and occasionally hitting boundaries. However, Greaves’ partnership with Seales reached the half-century mark as he finished the session with a lofted over mid-on off Sundar, denying India the final wicket.
India was still frustrated by Greaves and Seales, even after the former turned fifty. Even while it wasn’t enough to save India from winning easily, India’s choice to bring back Bumrah paid off when Seales flicked straight to deep square leg to finish a resolute last-wicket stand and the West Indies’ valiant performance.
Jaiswal got India’s chase off to a strong start by taking eight runs off Seales, including boundaries past third man and cover, and winning by a score of 121. However, Jaiswal failed to acquire the required elevation and holed out to long-on after attempting to hit a six off Warrican’s opening ball.
In order to get timely boundaries, Rahul and Sudharsan batted carefully. The latter flicked and drove off his wrists to pick boundaries off Pierre. With a smooth drive that went wide mid-off for four, Sudharsan greeted Chase. He then edged an off-break past slip for another boundary.
After breaking his shell by flicking Pierre for four with his flexible wrists, Rahul and Sudharsan left India in a dominant position to finish the match and secure the series.
India’s quick scores were 63/1 in 18 overs and 518/5 dec (B). In 118.5 overs, West Indies 248 and 390 (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 103; Jasprit Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep Yadav 3-104), are 58 runs ahead of Sai Sudharsan (30 not out, KL Rahul 25 not out; Jomel Warrican 1-15).
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