Jul 24, 2023
Ravichandran Ashwin snared two wickets to reduce West Indies to 76/2 after being set a daunting victory target of 365 on Day 4 of the second and final Test.
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A day packed with action at Queen's Park Oval in between short, sharp showers saw Mohammed Siraj scything through the lower half of the home side's first innings in the morning to earn his team a 183-run lead.
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Blistering half-centuries by India captain Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan then facilitated a swift second innings declaration at 181/2 off just 24 overs.
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Ashwin removed home skipper Kraigg Brathwaite to a top-edged sweep and then had debutant Kirk McKenzie lbw without scoring.
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The obdurate Tagenarine Chanderpaul, very much in the mould of his celebrated father Shivnarine, stayed to the close with vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood.
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At the start of the day, Siraj claimed the last four wickets to finish with his best Test figures of 5/60 as the West Indies crashed from overnight 229/5 to 255 all out, their last five wickets tumbling for just 26 runs.
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Rohit Sharma then led the rush for runs with a 35-ball 50 before lunch.
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Rohit fell for 57 while his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal was a casualty of a similarly attacking 38 in the three overs which were bowled in the afternoon session.
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That was the cue for Ishan Kishan to play his natural game and the left-hander did not disappoint, belting an unbeaten 52 off 34 balls with four fours and two sixes embellishing his maiden Test half-century.
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A target of 289 more runs on a final day pitch should be a step too far for the Caribbean side, especially given the greater experience, competence and confidence of an Indian side pressing for a 2-0 series sweep at the start of the new World Test Championship cycle.
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