The West Indies were sent to follow on late on the third day of the First Seagrams Test against India at the Sir Vivian Richards Ground in North Sound, Antigua, yesterday.
Despite a battling 74 from Kraigg Brathwaite, an attractive unbeaten 57 from wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and an aggressive 36 from skipper Jason Holder, the West Indies fell for just 243 in reply to India's mammoth 566 for eight declared.
Batting a second time the West Indies lost Brathwaite early to close at 21/1 in 13 overs. When play resumes today, the home team will face a mounting challenge to make India bat again, as they are still 302 runs behind.
Indian pacers Mohammed Shami 4/66 and Umesh Yadav 4/41 extracted generous bounce on the surface and maintained an immaculate line to destroy the West Indies batting line-up.
West Indies resumed on the overnight position of 31 for one with Brathwaite and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo doing battle. The Guyanese Bishoo did his job well and aided Brathwaite in taking the score to 68 before he left. He went for a sweep shot of leg-spinner Amit Mishra and was stumped by Wriddhiman Saha for 12.
Darren Bravo was up next in the batting order and he was the man expected to take the fight to the Indians. He looked comfortable until Mohammad Shami got a delivery to misbehave outside off stump and it took the edge of Bravo's bat enroute to Saha. Brathwaite, averaging only 9.0 in his last six Test innings at home, was just being himself all the while, leaving potentially harmful balls outside off-stump and only playing at compulsory deliveries.
At times he showed aggressive intent and got three solid boundaries and a streaky on, on his way to 46 not out at the lunch break, which was taken with the West Indies at 90/3.
On the resumption, Shami showed he had enjoyed what the food van brought, as he steamed in from the Curtly Ambrose End to rip out two batsmen in no time. Shami adapting a fifth stump line outside off stump got Marlon Samuels to edge to Saha, as the Jamaican was unwilling to move his feet.
Next man out was Jermaine Blackwood, again Shami holding that line outside the off-stump and this time keeping it back of a length, getting the extra bounce, the right hander could only push at it - the result a catch to third slip. Shami joined Venkatesh Prasad as the fastest Indian bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. Both got to the milestone in 13 Test matches.
Debutant Roston Chase then came and added some calm to the situation. Choosing to rotate the strike he was able to settle in nicely to the big times and looked good. He was able with Brathwaite to add 47 runs for the sixth wicket, before Umesh Yadav got him for 27. His first look in lasted 70 minutes in which time he faced 45 balls, hitting one four.
Wickets then continued to come in pairs for the Indians, as Yadav removed the obdurate Brathwaite five runs later. The Barbadian gave Saha his fifth victim as he was caught for 74. He batted for 291 minutes, faced 218 balls and struck seven fours. Saha became the first Tea was taken soon after at 157/7–another session belonging to the Indians, as West Indies scored 67 runs for the loss of four wickets.
After the break Holder and Dowrich fought back brilliantly. They stood tall and negotiated the spin and pace offerings to good effect. Holder using his reach was able to quell the threat of the spinners bit after having done the hard work, he again fell well set for a big score. The right-hander worked the score nicely along to 213 when the Indians again bagged a pair of dismissals. Holder hung his bat out to a wide ball from Yadav and was caught by Saha for 36. His innings spanned 52 balls and struck seven fours and a six.
Yadav then could not believe his luck next ball as he saw Carlos Brathwaite shouldered arms to a straight one that crashed into his stumps. On a hat-trick he saw Shannon Gabriel clip the 'glory ball' away for two.
Gabriel hung around to see Dowrich raise his second Test half century of 75 balls with 10 fours and then soon left, as West Indies closed on 243.
SCOREBOARD
WI vs India
India 1st inns 566/8 dec
WI 1st innings
(overnight 31/1)
WI innings
R Chandrika c Saha b Shami 16
K Brathwaite c Saha b Yadav 74
D Bishoo st Saha b Mishra 12
D Bravo c Saha b Mohammed Shami 11
M Samuels c Saha b Mohammed Shami 1
J Blackwood c Rahane b Mohammed Shami 0
R Chase c Kohli b Yadav 23
S Dowrich not out 57
J Holder c Saha b Yadav 36
C Brathwaite b Yadav 0
S Gabriel b Mishra 2
Extras 2lb, 4b, 2w, 3nb 11
Total all out 243
Fall of wkts: 30, 68, 90, 92, 92, 139, 144, 213, 213, 243.
Bowling: I Sharma 20-7-44-0, U Yadav 18-8-41-4, M Shami 20-4-66-4, R Ashwin 17-5-43-0, A Mishra 15.2-4-43-2.
WI 2nd innings
K Brathwaite lbw Sharma 2
R Chandrika not out 9
D Bravo not out 10
Extras 0
Total for 1 wkt 21
Fall of wkts: 2.
Bowling: I Sharma 4-2-3-1, M Shami 4-3-2-0, U Yadav 3-1-8-0, R Ashwin 2-0-8-0.