PORT OF SPAIN: Mohammed Siraj scythed through the West Indies lower order, completing a five-wicket haul as the home side were bundled out for 255 in their first innings on the fourth morning of the second and final Test against India at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Sunday.
Mindful of the potential threat of inclement weather, the visitors sped to 98 for one off 12 overs in their second innings before the first rain interruption of the day forced an early lunch with their overall lead already at a healthy 281 runs.
While Siraj claimed the bowling honours with figures of five for 60, it was debutant seam bowling partner Mukesh Kumar who triggered the slide which saw the West Indies losing their last five wickets for 26 runs.
He trapped Alick Athanaze leg-before with the fourth ball of the day and that opened the door for Siraj at the other end, the pacer bowling a full length and making full use of movement through the air and off the seam in humid conditions to dispose of Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel.
Those last two wickets came off successive balls which leaves Siraj poised to complete a hat-trick if he strikes with his first delivery of the second innings.
Rohit Sharma then benefited from two simple dropped chances to belt 57 off 44 balls with five fours and three sixes before Joseph held a catch at fine-leg off Gabriel.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (37 not out) and Shubman Gill will continue the push for runs after lunch, weather permitting. Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed him twice at Windsor Park Stadium and the wily spinner again got the better of the right-hander, bowling the opening batsman between bat and pad midway through the afternoon.
Brathwaite had started the day with debutant Kirk McKenzie with the West Indies well positioned at 86 for one.
They made serene progress almost to the end of the first hour when McKenzie wafted at a wide delivery from fellow debutant Mukesh Kumar to give the 29-year-old his first Test wicket as he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.
With only one wicket in each of the first two sessions, India pressed hard for more success at the start of play after tea and were rewarded immediately when the usually attacking Jermaine Blackwood fell to a superb catch by Ajinkya Rahane at slip off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
His innings of 20 occupied 92 deliveries. When Mohammed Siraj uprooted Joshua da Silva´s middle stump for his first wicket of the innings at 208 for five, the tourists felt they had the chance for more inroads before the light faded.
But former captain Jason Holder stayed with Alick Athanaze (37 not out) as the young left-hander negotiated a challenging period against the second new ball to carry the West Indies effort into the fourth morning.
West Indies won the toss
India 1st Innings 438
West Indies 1st Innings 255
India 2nd Innings
Jaiswal c Da Silva b Warrican 38
Sharma (c) c Joseph b Gabriel 57
Shubman Gill not out 10
Ishan Kishan †not out 8
Extras: (b 1, lb 2, nb 1, w 1) 5
Toral: 15 Ov (RR: 7.86) 118/2
Yet to bat: Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar
Fall of wickets: 1-98 (Rohit Sharma, 11.5 ov), 2-102 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 12.4 ov)
Bowling: Kemar Roach 2-0-22-0, Alzarri Joseph 4-0-37-0, Jason Holder 4-0-26-0, Shannon Gabriel 3-0-15-1, Jomel Warrican 2-0-15-1
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Richard Kettleborough
