Finance
India needed just an hour on day five to beat the West Indies by seven wickets and secure a 2-0 series sweep at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. KL Rahul led the chase with an unbeaten 58 from 108 balls, striking six fours and two sixes to help India easily reach 121.
The victory marked India’s first Test series win under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, following a 2-2 draw in England earlier this year. Though the margin suggests an easy victory, India would earn it in New Delhi, defeating the West Indies for the tenth time in Tests.
West Indies, asked to follow on, refused to give up easily, owing to twin centuries from John Campbell and Shai Hope, as well as a gutsy last-wicket 79-run stand that extended the match to day five. However, after play started, India made light work of the chase despite an early wobble, adding 12 vital points to their World Test Championship score, keeping them at number three with a points percentage of 61.9.
The West Indies fought valiantly, demonstrating tenacity and character notwithstanding a huge innings defeat in Ahmedabad. Nonetheless, despite spending 200 overs on the field, India’s depth and calmness proved pivotal, with Rahul, Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal among the run-scorers, while Kuldeep Yadav picked eight wickets on a sluggish and receptive ground.
The day began with KL Rahul and B Sai Sudharsan playing four maidens until the latter broke the shackles by gliding down the pitch and lofting Jomel Warrican over mid-off for four runs.
Though that was followed by some prodding and defending against Warrican and Khary Pierre, Rahul put India on track by dancing down the pitch again – this time against Pierre – and lofting over long-on for six, then flicking the spinner off his wrists through mid-wicket for four more.
Sudharsan added only nine runs to his overnight total before Shai Hope’s superb one-handed diving catch at slip off Roston Chase’s bowling snagged an outside edge on an attempted drive.
Rahul maintained his fine form by brushing Warrican for a flat six over the square leg boundary, while Shubman Gill stepped down the pitch to loft Chase over long-on for another maximum.
A ball later, Gill returned to the crease, pulling Chase over square leg for four before miscuing a loft to mid-wicket off the West Indies captain. Rahul, on the other hand, scored his fifty with a sweep that netted him the required two runs before reverse-sweeping Warrican through backward point for a boundary.
After some rock-solid forward defence, Dhurv Jurel got off the mark with a late dab off pursuit, getting through third man for four, before Rahul finished off the pursuit with a backfoot punch, resulting in a boundary and securing India’s comfortable victory.
Brief Scores: India 518/5 dec and 124/3 in 35.2 overs (KL Rahul 58 not out, B Sai Sudharsan 39; Roston Chase 2-36, Jomel Warrican 1-39) beat West Indies 248 and 390 in 118.5 overs (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 103; Jasprit Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep Yadav 3-104) by seven wickets
Source: IANS
