GROS ISLET (ST LUCIA): The Indian cricket team produced a splendid bowling performance to decimate West Indies by 237 runs in the third Test and grab an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series here.
Having lost an entire day to rain, it was a superb effort by the bowling unit that saw them bundle out West Indies for 108 in 47.3 overs while chasing a stiff victory target of 346 in 87 overs previous day.
Incidentally, this is the first time in over six decades thatIndia has won more than one Test match in the Caribbean islands. The previous three series victories — 1971, 2006 and 2011 have been by an identical 1-0 margin. If Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero in the first innings, Mohammed Shami (3/15 in 11 overs) and Ishant Sharma(2/30 in 7 overs) did the maximum damage in the second innings. Bhuvneshwar (1/13), Ravichandran Ashwin (1/28) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/20) also complemented the two pacers as none of the batsmen save Darren Bravo (59) showed any stomach for fight. The historic moment came when Shanon Gabriel (11)’s slog was easily pouched by Bhuvneshwar at deep mid-wicket off Jadeja’s bowling. Skipper Virat Kohli was visibly ecstatic but there wasn’t any over-the-top celebrations. Earlier, India batted for seven overs in the morning declaring their second innings at 217 for seven with Ajinkya Rahane remaining unbeaten on 78 off 116 balls. India bowled 20 overs before lunch in which they reduced West Indies to 53 for 3. In the post lunch session, the home team lost 7 more wickets for 55 runs. Bravo and Roston Chase (10) looked to bat for time and resurrect the innings from a precarious 53/3 in the post lunch session. They faced a testing spell from Ishant and Bhuvneshwar who were using the 20-over-old ball well enough. The former was pitching the ball up a lot more than he has done in this series and found instant result, as one swung in sharply in the 26th over, and knocked back Chase’s stumps, bowling him through the gate. When spinners came into the attack, Jermaine Blackwood (1) was stumped off Jadeja as keeper Wriddhiman Saha did some excellent work. Shane Dowrich (5) then played out 8 overs with Bravo, though only adding 16 runs for the 6th wicket. It allowed Bravo enough breathing space to complete his 15th Test fifty off 73 balls, but it was never going to be enough.–PTI
