Fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj emerged as the pick of the bowlers for India with excellent figures of five for 60 to help the visitors take a healthy 183-run lead after bowling out West Indies for 255 on day four of the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday.
Siraj mixed his inswingers, outswingers and wobble-seam deliveries to good effect with the second new ball to bag his best figures in an innings in Test cricket. In an early start to the day, West Indies managed to avoid the follow-on but could add only 26 runs to their overnight total.
With the second new ball being just 5.1 overs old, India were to make inroads in an early start to day four’s play. It happened when Mukesh Kumar struck in the first over of the day, beating Alick Athanaze on the inside edge and trapping him lbw for 37.
In the next over, Jason Holder pushed hard at a full outswinger from Siraj and nicked behind to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan for a low catch to his right. Alzarri Joseph survived a lbw appeal off Siraj on review, but a ball later, he was trapped lbw by the wobble-seam delivery from the fast bowler.
India continued to persist with aggressive field settings, keeping three slips and two men at gully or a deep third man when Siraj bowled. When Mukesh was operating, the field varied between six, five or four slip fielders, and at times three slips, a gully and a leg gully.
That reaped reward when Roach slashed hard at a wide outswinger from Siraj and took the outside edge behind to Kishan. On the very next ball, Siraj trapped Shannon Gabriel lbw for a golden duck to end up with his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket. With a healthy lead in hand, India would be aiming to get big runs quickly to be in the ascendancy in the match.
Brief scores:
India 438 lead West Indies 255 all out in 115.4 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 75, Alick Athanaze 37; Mohammed Siraj 5-60, Ravindra Jadeja 2-37) by 183 runs.
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