Gros Islet (St Lucia): Indian pacers responded beautifully to their skipper Virat Kohli’s decision of sporting declaration as they reduced West Indies to a precarious 53 for three at lunch on the fifth and final day of the third cricket Test, here on Saturday.
India declared at 217 for 7 in their second essay riding on Ajinkya Rahane’s useful 78 thereby leaving West Indies with a stiff target of 346 in 87 overs.
However the trio of Mohammed Shami (1/5), Ishant Sharma (1/17) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/12) polished off the top-order during the 20 overs before lunch to raise visions of a victory.
Left-hander Darren Bravo (26 batting) and centurion of the last Test Roston Chase (10 batting) were at the crease as hosts were looking to break the shackles they had been placed under after some tight bowling. Bhuvneshwar and Shami had started off proceedings, and the duo were right on the money with the new ball.
While the former tied down the batsmen with some tight swing, the latter used pace to force them back. It resulted in a double success in the space of four balls, as Shami had Leon Johnson (0) caught at forward short leg in the fourth over.
Four deliveries later, Kumar trapped Kraigg Brathwaite (4) leg before even as the ball stayed low just a bit. Marlon Samuels (12) then resisted for a short while but he found Ishant tough to handle. He played an uncharacteristic stroke to an incoming delivery and was bowled. Chase then came out to bat ahead of Jermaine Blackwood, and steadied things going into the break. Ravichandran Ashwin (0/16) and Ravindra Jadeja (0/3) were the other bowlers deployed.
