On the third day of the second and final test match, which took place on Saturday at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, the West Indies slogged their way to 229 for five in reply to India’s first innings total of 438 at stumps.
The day was marred by many interruptions due to rain. India’s first innings total was 438.
Adding 143 runs in 65 overs between seasonal rains was clearly not scintillating sport, but the home side’s resolve to prevent a recurrence of the catastrophe they suffered in the first Test meant that survival was prioritized over any effort to amuse the crowd.
The home team’s determined, albeit unpleasant, demeanor in the wake of their three-day innings humiliation in Dominica a week earlier was exemplified by Kraigg Brathwaite’s innings of 75, which was a prime example of the home side’s performance.
The West Indies skipper, who was never one to be consumed with the aesthetics of batsmanship, stood at the crease for over five hours, faced 235 deliveries, and hit five fours and one six before being dismissed by an adversary with whom he was already acquainted.
Ravichandran Ashwin had already bowled him out twice at Windsor Park Stadium when he bowled the opening batsman between his bat and his pad in the middle of the day. The crafty spinner continued to get the better of the right-handed batter throughout the match.
With the West Indies in a strong position at 86 for one as Brathwaite began the day, he chose to open the batting with debutant Kirk McKenzie.
They were making tranquil progress nearly all the way to the end of the first hour when McKenzie wafted at a wide ball from fellow debutant Mukesh Kumar. This resulted in the 29-year-old getting his maiden Test wicket as he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.
After losing just one wicket in each of the first two sessions, India made a concerted effort to gain more success at the beginning of play after tea. They were immediately rewarded for their efforts when the normally aggressive Jermaine Blackwood was caught by Ajinkya Rahane at slip off of Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin.
His innings of 20 deliveries was used up completely.
At the score of 208 for five, when Mohammed Siraj took his first wicket of the innings by uprooting Joshua da Silva’s middle stump for his first wicket of the innings, the visitors believed they still had the opportunity to make more inroads before the light went out.
But the former West Indies captain Jason Holder persevered with Alick Athanaze (who was not out at the time) as the young left-hander navigated a hard phase against the second new ball to continue the West Indies effort into the fourth morning.
“The batting conditions may not have been as difficult as they were in Dominica, but given the quality of bowling that they have, they still made life difficult for us,” Athanaze remarked at the conclusion of the day. “The conditions may not have been as difficult as they were in Dominica, but they still made life difficult for us.”
At the end of the day, when we were up against the new ball, things became difficult, but we were able to hang on. There is no hiding the fact that we are working to rebuild, and the key is to take pleasure in the difficulties we must overcome.