West Indies vs India, 2nd Test, Day 4 preview: Can West Indies survive?

Eight more wickets and India will be able to collect 120 points in the ICC World Test Championship. West Indian batsmen need to score a massive 423 runs to win this match and level the series.

It took slightly more than an hour for India on day three to complete the West Indies first innings for 117 runs. Mohammed Shami who became the third fastest Indian pacer to reach 150 test wickets after Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath took care of Rahkeem Cornwall (14). Kemar Roach looked set with 17 but became the last man to go off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling after Jahmar Hamilton was sent back by Ishant Sharma.

Virat Kohli, most probably with the intention to give some rest to his bowlers decided to bat again despite having a huge lead of 299 runs in the first innings. Kemar Roach was again on the money. He went on to pick up Mayank Agarwal before the lunch break. Then he dismissed KL Rahul after an indecisive 63-ball 6, and Virat Kohli on the very next ball for a duck. Ajinkya Rahane played the hat-trick delivery tentatively and was lucky that inner edge missed the leg stump by a whisker and went to the boundary. Cheteshwar Pujara’s dismissal in that session made the scenario tricky for Indians. But Rahane and Hanuma Vihari once again rose to the occasion and took control to add 111 runs out of which 95 came post the tea with a run rate above five. Both of them reached their individual fifties before Kohli declared with 168/4 that gave West Indies a target of 468 runs.

West Indies could bat for only 13 overs and by the end of the day looked in trouble with 45/2. Ishant and Shami already got rid of the two openers and Jasprit Bumrah looked deadly as he hit Darren Bravo on the head with a bouncer in the last over of the day. For Indians, it is just a matter of time to scalp the remaining eight wickets whereas West Indians have a tough task ahead to survive in front of the Indian bowlers.

It will be interesting to see what strategies the Windies follow as Indians try to seal the win on day four.

Key players

Ravindra Jadeja (India)– With the Sabina park pitch taking good turn Ravindra Jadeja can be the key player for India. Till now Jadeja has played a more supportive role to the excellent Indian speedsters. However, in a slightly responsive pitch, he would look to run through the West Indies middle and lower order.

Roston Chase (West Indies)– Roston Chase has the most solid technique among the Windies batsman. Despite the first ball duck in the first innings, Chase would try to bat long in the second innings in a bid to save the Test match for West Indies.

Brief scores

India 416 & 168/4d (Ajinkya Rahane 64*, Hanuma Vihari 53*; Kemar Roach 3/28) vs West Indies 117 & 45/2 (Darren Bravo 18*; Mohammed Shami 1/12)

Prediction

India will look for an early win.