PORT-OF-SPAIN: Mohammed Siraj scythed through the West Indies lower order, completing a five-wicket haul as the home side were bundled out for 255 in their first innings on the fourth morning of the second and final Test against India at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Sunday.

Mindful of the potential threat of inclement weather, the visitors sped to 98 for one off 12 overs in their second innings before the first rain interruption of the day forced an early lunch with their overall lead already at a healthy 281 runs.

While Siraj claimed the bowling honours with figures of five for 60, it was debutant seam bowling partner Mukesh Kumar who triggered the slide which saw the West Indies losing their last five wickets for 26 runs.

He trapped Alick Athanaze leg-before with the fourth ball of the day and that opened the door for Siraj at the other end, the pacer bowling a full length and making full use of movement through the air and off the seam in humid conditions to dispose of Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel.

Those last two wickets came off successive balls which leaves Siraj poised to complete a hat-trick if he strikes with his first delivery of the second innings.

Rohit Sharma then benefited from two simple dropped chances to belt 57 off 44 balls with five fours and three sixes before Joseph held a catch at fine-leg off Gabriel.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (37 not out) and Shubman Gill will continue the push for runs after lunch, weather permitting.-AFP

On the third day, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored 75 on a lifeless wicket as the determined hosts batted through the rain-hit day.

Having resumed on 86-1, Brathwaite showed plenty of patience to bring up his 29th Test half-century off 170 balls after lunch was taken early due to rain and largely kept India’s bowlers at bay before being bowled by a superb Ravichandran Ashwin delivery.

At stumps, West Indies were 209 runs behind India’s total of 438 but had Athanaze and Holder at the crease.

It was a day of toil for the Indian bowlers on a flat wicket where the hosts took their time to get going, scoring at a little over two runs an over before bad light forced play to be stopped early after more showers in the final session.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA (1st Innings) 438

WEST INDIES (1st Innings, overnight 229-5):

K. Brathwaite b Ashwin75

T. Chanderpaul c Ashwin b Jadeja33

J. Warrican not out7

K. McKenzie c Kishan b Kumar32

J. Blackwood c Rahane b Jadeja20

A. Athanaze lbw b Kumar37

J. Da Silvab Siraj10

J. Holder c Kishan b Siraj15

A. Joseph lbw b Siraj4

K. Roach c Kishan b Siraj4

S. Gabriel lbw b Siraj0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, NB-8, W-5)18

TOTAL (all out, 115.4 overs)255

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-71 (Chanderpaul), 2-117 (McKenzie), 3-157 (Brathwaite), 4-178 (Blackwood), 5-208 (Da Silva), 6-229 (Athanaze), 7-233 (Holder), 8-244 (Joseph), 9-255 (Roach)

BOWLING: Siraj 23.4-6-60-5 (1nb), Unadkat 16-3-44-0, Ashwin 33-10-61-1, Kumar 18-6-48-2 (1w, 4nb), Jadeja 25-10-37-2 (3nb)

INDIA (2nd Innings):

Y. Jaiswal not out37

R. Sharma c Joseph b Gabriel57

S. Gill not out0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, NB-1, W-1)4

TOTAL (for one wickets, 12 overs)98

STILL TO BAT: V. Kohli, A. Rahane, R. Jadeja, I. Kishan, R. Ashwin, J. Unadkat, M. Siraj, M. Kumar

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-98 (Sharma)

BOWLING: Roach 2-0-22-0, Joseph 4-0-37-0 (1nb), Holder 4-0-26-0 (1w), Gabriel 2-0-11-1

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2023