New Delhi, Tuesday, August 16 – An accurate outcome can never be predicted in the game of cricket and it got proved lately when India beat West Indies at a stage when draw came to picture after rains. When the host tried to make best use of the changing weather conditions by making efforts to stay on the crease for as long as possible, Indian cricketers did not let them get success in that and won the third Test by 237 runs at Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet in St Lucia.
Indian captain Virat Kohli wanted to win the third Test as this was to improve their probability of winning the series. It became important for his side to put a ceiling on the opponents’ pace of accumulating runs. Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar did their bit and let the team attain the goal when things seemed to be different.
Indian Playing XI were confident of achieving the impossible as West Indies would have had ended the match in a draw had the players been able to save their wickets for a long time. Jason Holder’s team, which comprised Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Miguel Cummins, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel, Kraigg Brathwaite and Leon Johnson, aimed to bounce back but that never happened thanks to wonderful bowling by the Indian bowlers. Ashwin and Saha played heroics during India’s first innings, which finished at 353 runs. West Indies, on the other hand, were all out at a score of 225 runs, which included 19 extras as well.
Braithwaite’s 64 runs and Samuels’ 48 runs were inadequate to put the host in the leading position in view of the fact that others were dismissed at unimpressive scores. Leon Johnson was run out by Rahul at 23 runs (4 x 2), Darren Bravo by Ishant at 29 runs (4 x 3), Jermaine Blackwood by Bhuvneshwar at 20 runs (4 x 1), Roston Chase by R Jadeja at 2 runs, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder by Kumar at a score of 18, inclusive of a couple of fours, and two runs. Alzarri Joseph was out for a duck when Bhuvneshwar experimented with a different line and length. Miguel Cummins was too dismissed at a zero in Ashwin’s over. Shannon Gabriel was not out at a zero.
Kumar was able to leave an impression with his five-wicket haul. Ashwin got two wickets, while Jadeja and Ishant earned one wicket each. No wicket came in the picket of Shami. The Men In Blue batted for 48 overs in their second innings and totalled 217 runs. The decision to declare innings was a wiser one since objective was to win the Test. Score of Lokesh Rahul was 28 runs, inclusive of three 4s, Shikhar Dhawan was 26 runs, Virat Kohli was 4 runs, Wriddhiman Saha was 14 runs in 14 balls, Ravindra Jadeja was 16 runs, together with a six and Ravichandran Ashwin was 1 run in 3 balls. Those who shone in the second innings were Ajinkya Rahane, who was not out at 78 runs (4 x 2) and Rohit Sharma, who scored 41 runs in 59 balls, with a four and three sixes.
Bowling was on track in more than a few overs as compared to the first time since only nine extras were bowled by West Indies this time. Cummins’ six-wicket haul took his team and the rivals by surprise. Chase too got a wicket. When it came to chasing the target, it seemed that the Holder-led side will leave no stone unturned to not let the visitors gain grip in the contest. They wished for a better start when it was their turn to bat again. Challenges were huge in front of the West Indies players given that they did not score impressively on the home ground. They were trying to not lose wicket without considerable accumulation of the runs but the start and finish wasn’t good. Kraigg Brathwaite and Leon Johns could not ensure a perfect beginning since first wicket fell in 4th over when only four runs were put on the scoreboard.
Johnson was out for a duck in Shami’s over after Rohit was quick in taking a good catch. Kraigg Brathwaite was lbw by Bhuvneshwar in the next over. He scored 4 runs, letting the top order feel pressure. Expectations were up from Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels now as both being capable of standing rock solid on the crease. But a delivery by Ishant made Marlon Samuels to depart when he was playing at a score of 12, which consisted of a couple of 4s. This wicket made the small partnership end and hopes to die since Indian bowlers were getting back in form. Troubles start from this point onwards since Roston Chase was dismissed by Ishant at 10 runs.
The next-man in Jermaine Blackwood was stumped by Saha in Jadeja’s over. He could only score 1 runs in 11 balls. Shane Dowrich’s catch was taken by Kohli when Shami was called to bowl again. 5 runs off 31 balls were the score of Dowrich. For Jason Holder, it was not a Test to remember. He was run out by Ashwin at a score of 1. Not to forget that he scored 2 runs in West Indies first innings. The victory slipped far away from the host as soon as Rohit pouched the ball to send Bravo back in Shami’s over. The 27-year-old left-handed player was the highest scorer with 59 runs. His innings was studded with six boundaries and a biggie.
Alzarri Joseph succumbed to Ashwin on a naught. Shannon Gabriel was the last man out by Jadeja at a score of 11 (4 x 1). Miguel Cummins was not out at 2 runs. Nothing impressive was exhibited by West Indies batsmen except Bravo. Top, middle and lower batting orders made the job easy for Indian players, who were eying a win right from the time second Test finished in a draw. West Indies were all out at 108 runs. Ashwin was the happy man in the end to win Player of the Match award. Now, the 4th and final Test has become the crucial one. The team that loses it will regret of not performing up to the mark. Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad will host the last Test, which is scheduled to begin from August 18. India have already won the series but it is always good to end the tour with a victory, which keeps confidence of the players up.