Hyderabad: The West Indian balloon suddenly went bust on Sunday. The visitors, who put up a super show in the first innings and did very well with the ball on the third morning, plummeted to a pathetic 127 all out in the afternoon to hand the hosts an emphatic 10-wicket win inside three days in the second successive Test.
The 2-0 verdict meant India won their 10th straight home series, a tie with Australia. After conceding a modest first innings lead of 56, the Caribbean cruise simply sank. Their paltry second innings total left India a target of 72, which openers Prithvi Shaw (33) and K. L. Rahul (33) overhauled in 16.1 overs. Fittingly, Man of the Series Shaw slammed the winning runs, four of them through the covers off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to bring the curtain down.
The West Indians were in troubled waters in their second innings, with ducks around — both openers fell without scoring. While Kraigg Brathwaite was dismissed by Umesh Yadav, courtesy a fine catch down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Rishab Pant, Kieran Powell was given out caught by Ajinkya Rahane at first slip off spinner R. Ashwin. The field umpires decided to seek video assistance given the low trajectory and it appeared that a part of the ball had hit the ground with the other over Rahane’s fingers but the screen flashed ‘out,’ much to the disappointment of the batsman, who gestured at the umpires in a baffled query before walking off the field.
Soon, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope were gone, taking the wind out of Windies sails. Little later, Umesh rattled the stumps of first innings centurion Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich to be on a hat-trick. At tea, the West Indies had a lead of just 20 with only the tail in hand, heading towards a humiliating loss.
Captain Jason Holder and Sunil Ambris offered some resistance with a stand of 38 for the seventh wicket but part-time spinner Ravindra Jadeja accounted for both of them before Umesh cleaned up last man Shannon Gabriel to end with match figures of 10 for 133, his first 10-for.
Earlier, India began the day by losing set batsmen early. Ajinkya Rahane was the first to go, caught in the gully by Hope off Holder for 80 in the third over. That ended his innings building partnership of 152 for the fifth wicket with Pant.
Jadeja walked in and out, trapped LBW by Holder without bothering the scorers while Pant added just seven to his overnight score of 85 before falling out to a catch at short cover by Hetmyer as he tried an uppish punch off Shannon Gabriel. The youngster fell for 92 — exactly the score he had made in the first Test nine days ago.
Holder brought up his five wicket haul in style, sending tailender Kuldeep Yadav’s off stump cartwheeling to return with fine figures of 5 for 56. It was the second five-for a mediumpacer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, after Umesh Yadav’s 6 for 88 on Saturday, and the sixth overall at the venue.
Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (India) and Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) have had three and one such hauls respectively at this ground. Gabriel wrapped up the Indian innings with a beauty, one that came in to Ashwin and knocked his middle stump over. The No.8 bat contributed a crucial 35 even as the hosts lost six wickets for 59 runs on the day.
