India v West Indies: Umesh Yadav impresses once again and other takeaways

Ashish Peter - Senior Writer 17:55 14/10/2018
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    • A comprehensive win for Kohli and his men. Image - BCCI/Twitter.

    It was an all-action day in the second Test between India and the West Indies at Hyderabad as the hosts completed a 10-wicket victory inside three days.

    Resuming from their overnight first-innings score of 308-4, India were quickly bowled out for 367. Armed with a 56-run lead, India’s bowlers shone on a dry pitch to bundle out the visitors for just 127 runs in their second innings before completing a comprehensive win.

    With Virat Kohli‘s men having completed a 2-0 sweep to clinch the two-match series, we take a look at the talking points from an eventful day three in which 16 wickets fell.

    HOLDER SHOW CURTAILS INDIA’S LEAD

    When Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant came out to bat on day three, India would have expected to take a substantial first innings advantage.

    That would not prove to be the case with West Indies skipper Jason Holder in inspirational form. Just 10 runs had been added to India’s overnight total when Holder found some extra bounce to remove the well-set Rahane. Two deliveries later, the pacer pinned Ravindra Jadeja to the crease to give Windies a further opening.

    At the other end, Shannon Gabriel ensured that Pant was dismissed on 92 for a second time on the bounce before Holder removed Kuldeep Yadav to complete his five-wicket haul. It was the Windies skipper’s third consecutive five-for and his fourth in six innings. Ravichandran Ashwin added some handy lower-order runs but Holder’s charge had meant India only scored 59 runs more on day three for the loss of six wickets.

    UMESH’S MAIDEN 10-FOR BLOWS AWAY WINDIES

    Facing the prospect of a huge first-innings deficit at the start of the day, the visitors had done extremely well to ensure they were only 56 runs behind when they came out to bat for a second time. All that good work, however, was quickly eroded with a horror start from the openers. India’s sole fit pacer Umesh Yadav made an instant impact by dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite with only his second delivery.

    The Windies opener could only get a faint inside edge to a leg-side delivery as a diving Pant did the rest. His opening partner Kieran Powell departed for a duck too soon after with Ashwin striking in the fourth over.

    India’s spinners were on song as Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Sunil Ambris all fell after promising starts. However, it was Umesh who stole the show once again as West Indies’ batting collapsed like a house of cards. The in-form pacer bowled first innings centurion Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich off consecutive deliveries as the visitors slumped to 70-6. From there on, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Holder’s men.

    It was only fitting that Umesh picked up the final wicket by uprooting Gabriel’s stumps as the India pacer brought up his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.

    RAHUL FINDS SOME FORM AS INDIA MAKE LIGHT WORK OF CHASE

    A target of 72 runs was never really going to trouble India’s batsmen at home and that proved to be the case with the hosts clinching victory with all 10 wickets to spare.

    Prithvi Shaw continued the fine start to his Test career with another free-flowing innings of 33. The 18-year-old batted with positive intent and grabbed four boundaries in his short innings.

    Despite having only a small total to chase, there was something to smile about for KL Rahul who put together an assured unbeaten innings of 33. The India opener has been out of form in the entire series and looked particularly scratchy in the first innings.

    The short but assured stay at the crease will do Rahul’s confidence a world of good before the limited-overs clashes against the same opponents get underway.

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