John Campbell and Shai Hope scored unbeaten half-centuries as the West Indies batsmen finally showed some nerve against India in the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in India.
Campbell finished on 87 not out, while Hope ended the day on 66, to save the West Indies from a heavy defeat against the hosts on day three of the game.
After being dismissed for 248 runs in their first innings and asked to follow on by 270 runs, the West Indies seemed close to another massive defeat in three days when they slumped to 35 for two at tea.
But Campbell and Hope scored the first two half-centuries for the visitors in the series during an unbroken partnership of 138 for the third wicket. This saw them to 173 for two at the close of play, but they still needed 97 more runs to make India bat again.
Hope was at the crease at the start of play. With the West Indies on 140 for four, they desperately needed a huge partnership to get them as close as possible to India’s massive first innings total of 518 for five declared.
However, Hope added only five runs to his overnight total before being bowled for 36 by Kuldeep Yadav.
And when Yadav also claimed the wicket of the other overnight batter, Tevin Imlach, lbw for 21, the West Indies were in real trouble at 163 for six.
Yadav also trapped Justin Greaves lbw, and Jomel Warrican lost his middle stump to Mohammed Siraj, leaving them on 175 for 8t.
But Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip launched a 46 partnership that took the West Indies past the lunch interval.
Jasprit Bumrah broke the partnership by bowling Pierre for 23, and Yadav claimed his fifth five-wicket haul in Test by dismissing last man Jayden Seales for 13 to wrap up the innings and give India a healthy first innings lead.
Phillip ended unbeaten on 24 off 93 balls.
Yadav starred for India with figures of 5-82, while Ravendra Jadeja took 3-46.
India’s decision to enforce the follow-on seemed good when Tagenarine Chanderpaul was caught by Shubman Gill off Siraj with only 17 runs on the board.
Washington Sundar bowled Alick Athanaze to send the Windies to tea at 35 for two, with another early victory in clear view for the host.
But opener Campbell and Hope defied India’s bowlers. Campbell brought up the Windies’ first half-century by hitting Yadav for a six and four. Hope followed, not too long after, by hitting Jadeja for a single.
The pair put West Indies in a good position to make India bat again.
