Day 1
South Africa 283/3 (88.0 ov)
New Zealand
A day of thorough domination, something South Africa's Test team hasn't enjoyed for a few months. Their top four batsmen - Quinton de Kock, Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy - all struck fifties as the hosts finished at 283 for 3 after they had been put into bat by Kane Williamson at Supersport Park.
South Africa's newest opening combination, de Kock and Cook, laid the groundwork for the middle order to capitalise by adding 133, South Africa's best first-wicket partnership since 2014. Amla and Duminy were initially circumspect after the tea break, but runs flowed as the final session wore on. In between a number of delectable boundaries, which included an upper cut over third man for six, Amla brought up his fourth successive fifty-plus score in Centurion.
At a time when batting seemed easiest, however, left-arm seamer Neil Wagner brought one back in sharply from around the wicket and kissed Amla's outside edge. It required such a delivery to leave Amla in disbelief.
Duminy's place in South Africa's Test side was under scrutiny going into the Test, and he had an immediate stroke of luck when a first-ball edge of Doug Bracewell did not carry to second slip, because of the slowness of the surface. Duminy used his luck to compile a diligent and unbeaten 67, an innings laced with sweetly-timed drives and flicks, his confidence and footwork improving with every stroke.
The differences from Durban were stark when play had begun under a blue Centurion sky. The absence of cloud cover and the slower nature of the pitch meant South Africa's openers were comfortable off the back foot as long as they did not waft at inviting lengths.
In the first session, they thrived after weathering a testing spell from Southee and Boult, both of whom hit exemplary lengths. After being watchful during the first hour, de Kock - opening because Dean Elgar had sprained his ankle while training on the eve of the Test - and Cook capitalised in the second. As de Kock got bolder and Cook more resolute, regular offerings of width coupled with pick-off-the-pads deliveries helped them score boundaries on both sides of the wicket. South Africa were 100 for 0 at lunch.
New Zealand's bowlers were forced to use the most trusted plan of their African journey, a barrage of short balls, to stall the hosts during the middle session.
Both Southee and Wagner resorted to bouncers to de Kock with a leg gully and deep square leg in place. De Kock, though, did not shy away. Wagner, bowling from around the wicket, delivered three successive short balls, one of which de Kock backed away from and ramped over the slip cordon. Wagner was mature and experienced, de Kock was young and exuberant. It was a test, and Wagner's next well-directed bouncer accounted for de Kock, who pulled compulsively and was caught at fine leg.
After bringing up his half-century, Cook seemed to lose his discipline in leaving deliveries he did not need to play. A couple of loose drives, bat away from the body and feet rooted in the crease, whistled through cover but another such shot ended his innings. A thick skew off the outside half carried low to Kane Williamson at gully, and New Zealand had an opening. Until Amla closed it again.
About ten overs after Amla fell with the score on 246 for 3, New Zealand took the new ball as soon as it was available. Barring gentle swing, though, they found nothing to trouble Faf du Plessis and Duminy, both of whom were intent on keeping straight deliveries out and leaving whenever they could.
The Decision Review System did not aid New Zealand either, with two lbw decisions - Duminy on 44 and Amla on 17 - reversed. There were two more lbw appeals that replays indicated would have been overturned but Williamson chose not to review. As a result, New Zealand endured the worst day of their African sojourn and needed to make a strong comeback if they are to challenge for their first Test series win against South Africa.
Day 2
South Africa 481/8d
New Zealand 38/3 (16.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 443 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Faf du Plessis scored his first century in 17 innings since December 2014 and South Africa's seamers picked from where they left off in Durban to give the hosts control of the series decider. Du Plessis was one of a quintet of batsmen to cross fifty - only the second time all of South Africa's top five have done so - as they wore New Zealand out before declaring on a day of toil for the visitors.
The current New Zealand crop have never been kept in the field for more overs than the 154 they were during South Africa's innings. As a team, they have spent more time on the park eight times before in the first innings, most recently in 1999. The consolation for them was that Neil Wagner claimed his fourth five-wicket haul on his first Test appearance at his former home ground while the rest of the attack went largely luckless. Trent Boult will be particularly envious of the returns the other seamers enjoyed after he went wicketless despite creating numerous chances, beating the bat, finding movement and several edges.
Instead, it was South Africa who reaped reward, as they plucked out New Zealand's openers early. This time Vernon Philander was in on the action too. He created the first chance when he squared Martin Guptill up with a delivery that straightened from leg stump and took the edge but went over the slips where Stiaan van Zyl was reaching for it. Van Zyl only had to wait until Philander's next over to make amends. Guptill was fishing outside off again and van Zyl took the catch off the edge.
At the other end, Dale Steyn was trying to force the batsmen to drive, and got one to nip back into Tom Latham and appealed for caught behind. Umpire Paul Reiffel gave it not out but Steyn was insistent and South Africa reviewed. Replays suggested the ball had brushed the pocket but a thin spike on Ultra Edge convinced the third umpire Richard Illingworth Latham was out off the inside edge.
The decision fired Steyn up even more. He greeted Ross Taylor with a 140kph bouncer that struck him on the shoulder and another, even faster, at 145 kph, on the arm. Taylor weathered the storm but the the pressure got to him. As the first change was made - Kagiso Rabada took over from Philander - he nudged into the leg side set off a single. Temba Bavuma swooped to his left from short leg and his direct hit found Taylor short of his ground and dismissed for the first time on New Zealand's African tour.
Kane Williamson batted to the close but the "oh no," he uttered when he squandered a review earlier in the day - agreeing to go upstairs when Wagner thought he had Philander out lbw - could have applied to the whole day for New Zealand.
They started strongly when Boult continued his blistering new-ball spell and threatened a wicket in almost every over. He could have had one off the first ball of the morning, which nipped back into du Plessis and almost took out off stump. Later he drew an inside-edge, rapped du Plessis on the pads and had him pulling to deep square leg where Henry Nicholls let it slip through his grasp.
Fortune was with South Africa as JP Duminy survived too. He could have been caught in the slips but the edge fell short and he was regularly beaten but he fought his way into form. Duminy seemed destined for a first Test hundred in two years but then got a bottom edge off a rash pull to finish 12 short.
Wagner used a signature short ball to remove Temba Bavuma, the only batsmen not to get into double figures, but South Africa's long line-up meant New Zealand were not through. Stiaan van Zyl - now batting in the middle order after an unsuccessful stint at the top - joined du Plessis in circumspection and batted most of the second session while du Plessis patiently played for a century.
His strike rate only climbed when he moved from 60 to 80 in 15 deliveries. For the rest of his innings, du Plessis was willing to wait and it was only after van Zyl and Philander were dismissed that he got there. In two emotional overs, Wagner celebrated a five-for in front of friends and family from his hometown and du Plessis was vindicated after being dropped in the last Test series and brought back as stand-in captain for this one. Personal performance aside, du Plessis doubtless ended the day the happier man.
Day 3
South Africa 481/8d & 105/6
New Zealand 214
South Africa lead by 372 runs with 4 wickets remaining
South Africa gained control of the second Test in Centurion after their seamers made light work of New Zealand's middle and lower order to bowl them out for 214. On a 13-wicket third day at SuperSport Park, South Africa's lead ballooned to 372 despite New Zealand's quicks scything through their top order to leave them 105 for 6 at stumps.
Kane Williamson's diligent work ethic helped weather a testing period in the morning, but regular breakthroughs meant South Africa ripped through New Zealand's largely untested middle order, and took a first-innings lead of 267.
Having chosen not to enforce the follow-on, South Africa began their second innings in sprightly fashion after an early tea, with Quinton de Kock hitting five fours and a six off the first 11 balls he faced. But Trent Boult and Tim Southee utilised appreciable lateral movement to nip out three wickets in two overs: Stephen Cook lbw after being pinned in the crease to a Boult inswinger, Hashim Amla caught at second slip off Southee, and JP Duminy playing around his front pad. After five overs, South Africa were 32 for 3.
Just like in the first innings, New Zealand persisted by bowling short at de Kock, but he didn't shy away from pulling. He made use of any width on offer and brought up his second fifty of the Test, off 42 balls. But an unplayable bouncer from Doug Bracewell, jagging into the left-hander from around the wicket and rearing towards his head, caused him to glove a catch to gully. By then, though, South Africa were 349 ahead.
It looked like Temba Bavuma and Stiaan van Zyl would play out the overs remaining till stumps, but just when they seemed set to achieve that objective, Wagner produced a lovely delivery in the channel outside off to have van Zyl caught behind.
In the morning, Williamson displayed exemplary technique - head over the ball, soft hands at point of contact and bat near pad - to quell Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, all of whom got the ball to move both ways through the day. Williamson repeatedly left deliveries on a testing line outside off stump, forcing the quicks straighter and then picking them off through midwicket - his modus operandi for most of his innings. He scored 77, his first Test fifty in South Africa.
At the other end, South Africa peppered Henry Nicholls with short balls. Despite looking awkward while fending or avoiding the bouncers, Nicholls seemed largely untroubled against the ensuing full deliveries until he missed a drive off Rabada. Umpire Paul Reiffel adjudged Nicholls to be not out but on review, Hawkeye indicated that the ball had pitched in line and would have hit middle stump.
The short-pitched plans continued after Nicholls' dismissal with a leg gully and short leg in place. Williamson and BJ Watling, two of New Zealand's better-equipped batsmen to tackle the bouncer, ducked or swayed out of the line.
Steyn persevered and reaped reward when he had Watling fending off his ribs, the ball grazing his glove on the way to wicketkeeper de Kock. A thin spike on the Snickometer resulted in South Africa's second wicket of the day, via their second successful review. With Mitchell Santner inside-edging Philander onto his stumps shortly before lunch, and Bracewell and Southee falling within six overs of each other after the break, New Zealand were 169 for 8.
Rabada, regularly clocking 150 kph, discomfited Wagner with a series of bouncers, one of which took the edge of his bat and lobbed to second slip via his shoulder. However, replays indicated Rabada had overstepped. Thereafter, Wagner changed tack from wearing blows to all-out attack, and heaved three fours and a six in the space of five Steyn deliveries to hurry New Zealand past 200.
He kept playing the pull, and eventually, one took his leading edge on the way to de Kock and Steyn duly directed Wagner back to the dressing room. Williamson was last man out in the next over, top-edging a pull just as Wagner had done.
Day 4
South Africa 481/8d & 132/7d
New Zealand 214 & 195
South Africa won by 204 runs
A masterful display of swing bowling from Dale Steyn, who picked up his first five-wicket haul in international cricket since December 2014, helped South Africa bowl New Zealand out for 195 in their chase of 400 on the fourth day in Centurion. Steyn and Vernon Philander, abetted by exaggerated variable bounce on a deteriorating SuperSport Park surface, set up South Africa's first Test series win since early 2015 by ripping through New Zealand's top order in a devastating seven-over period before lunch.
Despite an impressive half-century from Henry Nicholls, New Zealand never really recovered from being 18 for 4 at lunch, and they were eventually bowled out half an hour from stumps.
Steyn landed the first ball of the fourth innings in the channel outside off stump - it was wide enough for Tom Latham not to play but the extra bounce caught him unawares, and the ball clattered into the stumps off Latham's withdrawing bat. It was the third time in three innings on this tour that Steyn had dismissed Latham.
Five balls later, Martin Guptill got an unplayable outswinger: it pitched on off and swerved away to take the outside edge to Hashim Amla at first slip.
The variable bounce kept troubling New Zealand. In the second over, Kane Williamson was rapped on the glove by an inswinger from Philander that reared at him from a good length. In the next over, Steyn got one to land on a similar length and scoot along the surface to Ross Taylor, trapping him in front. Could New Zealand's situation get worse?
It did. Williamson, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of the blow to his left hand, wafted at a wide delivery from Philander. He had avoided playing that line throughout the first innings. The ball swung further away and took his outside edge, and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock completed a stunning one-handed catch low to his right.
Nicholls offered New Zealand's only real resistance with 76, his highest Test score. He was particularly effective square on either side of the wicket, picking off straight deliveries and punishing width outside off. When the bowlers overpitched, he collected runs through vacant areas down the ground.
After weathering a tough period before lunch, he added 68 with Watling for the fifth wicket. With the ball moving both ways, Nicholls and Watling left well outside off, forcing the seamers towards the stumps. The quicks were continually rotated and batting became gradually easier as the middle session wore on.
Just when it looked like New Zealand would get through the session unscathed, the offspinner Dane Piedt got one to spin back viciously. Watling shuffled across, missed his flick, and was struck in front of off stump. Watling reviewed, but umpire's call on impact meant South Africa had their only wicket of the session.
Kagiso Rabada, hitting the high 130-kph range as opposed to the 150 mark he regularly clocked in the first innings, struggled for fluency, rhythm and accuracy before tea. A number of wayward deliveries on either side of the wicket were easily avoided or dispatched to the boundary. However, he returned late in the day to pick up two-lower order wickets: he had Tim Southee bowled with a spearing yorker on off stump and beat Neil Wagner for pace to pin him in front of middle and leg.
Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Southee all got off to starts, but could not stay long enough at the crease to help Nicholls to a maiden Test ton. At 195 for 9, Nicholls was quickly running out of partners and du Plessis recalled Steyn. A top-edged pull off a short delivery, aimed at Nicholls' ribs, was taken at fine leg to end New Zealand's resistance.
In the morning, resuming from a score of 105 for 6, overnight batsmen Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander were patient early, leaving and blocking Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both of whom generated appreciable lateral movement like they had on the third evening. Philander looked untroubled until he left a good-length delivery from Southee that jagged back prodigiously to uproot the off stump. South Africa declared at 132 for 7, having added 27 in the first hour.
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Sunday 28 August 2016
2 T20I's WI 1-0 IND (in USA)
1st T20I
West Indies 245/6 (20/20 ov)
India 244/4 (20/20 ov)
West Indies won by 1 run
A hurriedly arranged exercise to take a glimpse into the future of cricket economy provided a giddying look into the future of Twenty20 cricket on the field. This was a future of fearless, relentless, calculated, almost unhurried hitting taken to the next level as West Indies first amassed their personal best of 245 only for India to come within two runs of mounting the highest successful T20I chase almost without breaking a sweat.
Evin Lewis and KL Rahul, replacing regular openers Chris Gayle and Shikhar Dhawan, smashed hundreds, but in this future bowlers did deal the consequential blows. India bowled superb wide yorkers to concede just 40 in the last four and 64 in the last seven, but the wily Dwayne Bravo outfoxed MS Dhoni and the centurion Rahul by defending seven runs in the last over. India needed two off the last ball, but Bravo made Dhoni wait and wait before bowling a slower ball that was caught by Marlon Samuels at short third man.
On a day that some batting records were broken and all sorts of others, and low-flying aircrafts, were under threat - Richard Levi's fastest hundred off 45 balls thrice, most runs in an over, most runs in boundaries in a team innings, highest T20I score, highest successful T20I chase - the bowling was the story of the day. In particular the last over of the day.
When Bravo began it, 483 runs had been scored in 39 overs. Thirty-two sixes and 35 fours had been hit on a flat deck surrounded by short boundaries. Johnson Charles had looted 79 off 33, playing only five scoring shots on the off side. Playing only his second T20I, replacing Gayle, Lewis had hit five sixes in a Stuart Binny over. Rohit Sharma looked like he could cream his way to another hundred when he scored 62 off 28. Andre Russell, the best T20 cricketer going around today, had just been mercilessly taken for 36 runs in his last two overs.
Bravo had no business even hoping to save this one, especially when bowling to a man batting on a smooth hundred and the other renowned to be one of the best finishers in ODI cricket, Dhoni. In ran Bravo, a nine-run 18th over behind his back, hoping to not concede a boundary first ball, to "try to get into the over". He had reason to just hope: 20 of the 39 previous overs had been taken for at least a boundary in the first two balls.
Bravo did way better, though, bowling a bewitching slower ball, dipping on Dhoni - 40 off 21 at that time - drawing a big edge, but at short third man Marlon Samuels dropped what Ian Bishop called was the "sittest of sitters". This was the second catch West Indies had dropped; Russell had reprieved Rahul when he was only 36. Rahul had gone on to play a chanceless innings, continuing to run hard despite having been hit on the toe twice.
Back to the frustrated Bravo then. This one was full and outside off, Rahul smashed it into the off side, and now was the time to hope this went to a fielder. Straight to the sweeper-cover fielder it went. Seven required off five now. Still a matter of hoping. Bravo's next ball was on a length, but smartly he followed Dhoni, cramping him up, conceding just the leg-bye.
If Bravo and Russell were the big boys West Indies went to with only 53 required off the last four overs, Bravo now went to the big boys of death bowling. No more mucking around. Bowl them yorkers. The first one was a low full toss, the original call was two as this went to long-on, but finally, at long last, Rahul had had enough up haring up and down with a badgered toe. Also if there had been a run-out - and there could only have been one at Rahul's end - India would have had a new batsman facing up with four required off two balls.
Instead we had the cool head of Dhoni. Against his trusted lieutenant for years at Chennai Super Kings. Bravo bowled the near perfect yorker, Dhoni dug it out powerfully, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, who got a hand to it, slowing it down. Was this absorbing of the blow that cost West Indies the second run here? Would this have been a single had Bravo not intercepted or would it have beaten long-off to end the game right there? We won't know.
Now time stood still. Dhoni has often destroyed many an inexperienced bowler by bringing the contest to a one-on-one from the 11-on-1 that it is for major durations of the match. The hunter had become the hunted now. Bravo had begun the over with nothing to lose, and now he had left Dhoni in the spotlight. And he left Dhoni on a slow burn. About five minutes went by before he bowled the next ball, but it seemed like an eternity. First a man from the off side was moved to midwicket inside the circle to block that Dhoni bunt into the leg side for a couple. Then once the field was set, once Dhoni was ready to face, Bravo walked back all the way to long-on for another conference with Kieron Pollard and new captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Dhoni had met an equal at mindgames. He had only recently outfoxed Bangladesh when they needed two off the last ball. He was now being given enough time and more whether to go for a boundary or the safe route of getting bat on ball for a single to tie and then see if they could get the bonus second? Bravo, and those who know Dhoni, knew the answer. "Knowing MS," Bravo said in a flash interview, "I knew he was going to take the safer route."
Bravo said he wasn't always sure of bowling the slower ball, but once he saw Dhoni move towards him a little, he pulled out that slower dipping offcutter again. Destiny's child Samuels, twice Man of the Match in World T20 semi-finals, got another chance as Dhoni edged while trying to push this into the off side for the safer route. Samuels caught it this time. Bravo had taken a stunning catch earlier to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane and had taken the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli without pulling out his Champion Dance, but turns out he had saved it for something special: this.
2nd T20I
West Indies 143 (19.4/20 ov)
India 15/0 (2/20 ov)
No result
International cricket has lost valuable time in strange circumstances in recent weeks - bright daylight but non-drying outfields in rainy months - but what happened in Lauderhill on Sunday might just be too bizarre for even cricket to come up with. For 40 minutes at the start of the day, on another beautiful sunny morning, the full house at the ground was denied cricket because the broadcasters suffered an "unavoidable" and "technical" problem. Once the game began India bowled superbly to bowl West Indies out for 143, but two overs into the chase, a 20-minute shower was enough to ensure the three remaining overs required to constitute a result would not be bowled.
This two-match series, which West Indies won 1-0, was supposed to be an exercise to take the game into a new market, a market where fans are used to being treated better than cricket tends to treat fans in India. They would have been in for a rude surprise when, after paying steep prices for their tickets, they didn't even get a proper public announcement explaining the delayed start. The broadcasters had paid massive sums for the rights and deserved some consideration, but there was rain expected later in the afternoon. You can imagine the eggshells the match officials would have walked on while sanctioning that delay.
That was not the last bizarre act of the day. At around 12.40pm, with India looking to be on their way to a win having restricted West Indies, it rained for around 20 minutes. The ground didn't have a Super Sopper, and wasn't covered fully. The business area was promptly ready for play and the deep parts of the outfield drained well too, but the top of the bowlers' run-ups, around the area where the painted advertisements are, didn't dry up. The captains were seen looking at that particular area with concern minutes before the game was called off at 2pm.
The official presentation was carried out in gloomy circumstances with the official interviewer steering clear of even mentioning the delayed start, without which the crowd would have had a result. The studio shows and the official interviewer only spoke of how humans are helpless against "mother nature" and "weather". Without being prompted, the West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite said he hoped the drainage and equipment would improve at the ground, which he said was a wonderful venue otherwise.
It would have been particularly disappointing for the India fans who would have been expecting to celebrate a bowling comeback after their side went for 245 on Saturday, and the comeback of Amit Mishra. He last played a Twenty20 international during the World T20 in 2014. In the next year-and-a-half India only played bilateral Twenty20 internationals, not bothering with flying in T20 specialists for one or two three-hour matches. By the time India started taking T20 internationals seriously again, in the lead-up to the 2016 World T20, Mishra had lost out to Pawan Negi and Harbhajan Singh without being given a chance to build on his impressive bowling in 2014.
Now, perhaps precisely because India didn't bother to fly in T20 specialists for another bilateral series, Mishra got another chance, and made immediate impact to help India bowl West Indies out for 143.
Mishra removed Johnson Charles with the first ball he bowled, inside the Powerplay. Charles had run away to 43 off 24 in the first five overs, but Mishra began with a front-of-the-hand legbreak that followed Charles as opposed to turning away, cramping him up, getting him caught at long-on. After that the spinners choked the life out of the West Indies batting. Ravindra Jadeja zipped through with quiet overs, and R Ashwin bowled cleverly to take the wickets of Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard.
The fact that spinners bowled so well just after the Powerplay meant India could afford to introduce Jasprit Bumrah after the 10th over. He prefers the ball to be as old as possible. Bumrah responded immediately with the wicket of Marlon Samuels, and the others tightened the screws around him. West Indies, with Brathwaite coming in at No. 9, kept coming hard at India even though they kept losing wickets. India still kept taking wickets, bowling West Indies out for a below-par score, but they were powerless against the "weather".
West Indies 245/6 (20/20 ov)
India 244/4 (20/20 ov)
West Indies won by 1 run
A hurriedly arranged exercise to take a glimpse into the future of cricket economy provided a giddying look into the future of Twenty20 cricket on the field. This was a future of fearless, relentless, calculated, almost unhurried hitting taken to the next level as West Indies first amassed their personal best of 245 only for India to come within two runs of mounting the highest successful T20I chase almost without breaking a sweat.
Evin Lewis and KL Rahul, replacing regular openers Chris Gayle and Shikhar Dhawan, smashed hundreds, but in this future bowlers did deal the consequential blows. India bowled superb wide yorkers to concede just 40 in the last four and 64 in the last seven, but the wily Dwayne Bravo outfoxed MS Dhoni and the centurion Rahul by defending seven runs in the last over. India needed two off the last ball, but Bravo made Dhoni wait and wait before bowling a slower ball that was caught by Marlon Samuels at short third man.
On a day that some batting records were broken and all sorts of others, and low-flying aircrafts, were under threat - Richard Levi's fastest hundred off 45 balls thrice, most runs in an over, most runs in boundaries in a team innings, highest T20I score, highest successful T20I chase - the bowling was the story of the day. In particular the last over of the day.
When Bravo began it, 483 runs had been scored in 39 overs. Thirty-two sixes and 35 fours had been hit on a flat deck surrounded by short boundaries. Johnson Charles had looted 79 off 33, playing only five scoring shots on the off side. Playing only his second T20I, replacing Gayle, Lewis had hit five sixes in a Stuart Binny over. Rohit Sharma looked like he could cream his way to another hundred when he scored 62 off 28. Andre Russell, the best T20 cricketer going around today, had just been mercilessly taken for 36 runs in his last two overs.
Bravo had no business even hoping to save this one, especially when bowling to a man batting on a smooth hundred and the other renowned to be one of the best finishers in ODI cricket, Dhoni. In ran Bravo, a nine-run 18th over behind his back, hoping to not concede a boundary first ball, to "try to get into the over". He had reason to just hope: 20 of the 39 previous overs had been taken for at least a boundary in the first two balls.
Bravo did way better, though, bowling a bewitching slower ball, dipping on Dhoni - 40 off 21 at that time - drawing a big edge, but at short third man Marlon Samuels dropped what Ian Bishop called was the "sittest of sitters". This was the second catch West Indies had dropped; Russell had reprieved Rahul when he was only 36. Rahul had gone on to play a chanceless innings, continuing to run hard despite having been hit on the toe twice.
Back to the frustrated Bravo then. This one was full and outside off, Rahul smashed it into the off side, and now was the time to hope this went to a fielder. Straight to the sweeper-cover fielder it went. Seven required off five now. Still a matter of hoping. Bravo's next ball was on a length, but smartly he followed Dhoni, cramping him up, conceding just the leg-bye.
If Bravo and Russell were the big boys West Indies went to with only 53 required off the last four overs, Bravo now went to the big boys of death bowling. No more mucking around. Bowl them yorkers. The first one was a low full toss, the original call was two as this went to long-on, but finally, at long last, Rahul had had enough up haring up and down with a badgered toe. Also if there had been a run-out - and there could only have been one at Rahul's end - India would have had a new batsman facing up with four required off two balls.
Instead we had the cool head of Dhoni. Against his trusted lieutenant for years at Chennai Super Kings. Bravo bowled the near perfect yorker, Dhoni dug it out powerfully, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, who got a hand to it, slowing it down. Was this absorbing of the blow that cost West Indies the second run here? Would this have been a single had Bravo not intercepted or would it have beaten long-off to end the game right there? We won't know.
Now time stood still. Dhoni has often destroyed many an inexperienced bowler by bringing the contest to a one-on-one from the 11-on-1 that it is for major durations of the match. The hunter had become the hunted now. Bravo had begun the over with nothing to lose, and now he had left Dhoni in the spotlight. And he left Dhoni on a slow burn. About five minutes went by before he bowled the next ball, but it seemed like an eternity. First a man from the off side was moved to midwicket inside the circle to block that Dhoni bunt into the leg side for a couple. Then once the field was set, once Dhoni was ready to face, Bravo walked back all the way to long-on for another conference with Kieron Pollard and new captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Dhoni had met an equal at mindgames. He had only recently outfoxed Bangladesh when they needed two off the last ball. He was now being given enough time and more whether to go for a boundary or the safe route of getting bat on ball for a single to tie and then see if they could get the bonus second? Bravo, and those who know Dhoni, knew the answer. "Knowing MS," Bravo said in a flash interview, "I knew he was going to take the safer route."
Bravo said he wasn't always sure of bowling the slower ball, but once he saw Dhoni move towards him a little, he pulled out that slower dipping offcutter again. Destiny's child Samuels, twice Man of the Match in World T20 semi-finals, got another chance as Dhoni edged while trying to push this into the off side for the safer route. Samuels caught it this time. Bravo had taken a stunning catch earlier to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane and had taken the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli without pulling out his Champion Dance, but turns out he had saved it for something special: this.
2nd T20I
West Indies 143 (19.4/20 ov)
India 15/0 (2/20 ov)
No result
International cricket has lost valuable time in strange circumstances in recent weeks - bright daylight but non-drying outfields in rainy months - but what happened in Lauderhill on Sunday might just be too bizarre for even cricket to come up with. For 40 minutes at the start of the day, on another beautiful sunny morning, the full house at the ground was denied cricket because the broadcasters suffered an "unavoidable" and "technical" problem. Once the game began India bowled superbly to bowl West Indies out for 143, but two overs into the chase, a 20-minute shower was enough to ensure the three remaining overs required to constitute a result would not be bowled.
This two-match series, which West Indies won 1-0, was supposed to be an exercise to take the game into a new market, a market where fans are used to being treated better than cricket tends to treat fans in India. They would have been in for a rude surprise when, after paying steep prices for their tickets, they didn't even get a proper public announcement explaining the delayed start. The broadcasters had paid massive sums for the rights and deserved some consideration, but there was rain expected later in the afternoon. You can imagine the eggshells the match officials would have walked on while sanctioning that delay.
That was not the last bizarre act of the day. At around 12.40pm, with India looking to be on their way to a win having restricted West Indies, it rained for around 20 minutes. The ground didn't have a Super Sopper, and wasn't covered fully. The business area was promptly ready for play and the deep parts of the outfield drained well too, but the top of the bowlers' run-ups, around the area where the painted advertisements are, didn't dry up. The captains were seen looking at that particular area with concern minutes before the game was called off at 2pm.
The official presentation was carried out in gloomy circumstances with the official interviewer steering clear of even mentioning the delayed start, without which the crowd would have had a result. The studio shows and the official interviewer only spoke of how humans are helpless against "mother nature" and "weather". Without being prompted, the West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite said he hoped the drainage and equipment would improve at the ground, which he said was a wonderful venue otherwise.
It would have been particularly disappointing for the India fans who would have been expecting to celebrate a bowling comeback after their side went for 245 on Saturday, and the comeback of Amit Mishra. He last played a Twenty20 international during the World T20 in 2014. In the next year-and-a-half India only played bilateral Twenty20 internationals, not bothering with flying in T20 specialists for one or two three-hour matches. By the time India started taking T20 internationals seriously again, in the lead-up to the 2016 World T20, Mishra had lost out to Pawan Negi and Harbhajan Singh without being given a chance to build on his impressive bowling in 2014.
Now, perhaps precisely because India didn't bother to fly in T20 specialists for another bilateral series, Mishra got another chance, and made immediate impact to help India bowl West Indies out for 143.
Mishra removed Johnson Charles with the first ball he bowled, inside the Powerplay. Charles had run away to 43 off 24 in the first five overs, but Mishra began with a front-of-the-hand legbreak that followed Charles as opposed to turning away, cramping him up, getting him caught at long-on. After that the spinners choked the life out of the West Indies batting. Ravindra Jadeja zipped through with quiet overs, and R Ashwin bowled cleverly to take the wickets of Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard.
The fact that spinners bowled so well just after the Powerplay meant India could afford to introduce Jasprit Bumrah after the 10th over. He prefers the ball to be as old as possible. Bumrah responded immediately with the wicket of Marlon Samuels, and the others tightened the screws around him. West Indies, with Brathwaite coming in at No. 9, kept coming hard at India even though they kept losing wickets. India still kept taking wickets, bowling West Indies out for a below-par score, but they were powerless against the "weather".
Tuesday 23 August 2016
1st Test SA V NZ - Draw
Day 1
South Africa 236/8 (77.4 ov)
New Zealand
The first day of Test cricket in August at Kingsmead felt like a play. There was the roguish charmer, Trent Boult, making the new ball weave shapes the batsman couldn't fathom. There was the graceful warrior, Hashim Amla, finding the boundary with the softest of touches. There was the man who defies pain, Neil Wagner, summoning bouncers late in the day. There was guts from Temba Bavuma. And finally there was Mitchell Santner, the sneaky saboteur who ensured the curtains came down with New Zealand smiling.
South Africa, having opted to bat, lurched from 102 for 2 to 160 for 5 and were finally holding on at 236 for 8 at stumps, with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn at the crease.
There was a distinct narrative in each session of play. The first was for the purists, and for those moved by drama, for Boult was slaying an old demon. Ever since a back injury in June 2015, he had looked a paler force. His average bobbed over 36, he leaked three runs an over, and some were worried he had lost his inswing. Considering a stress fracture to his back had threatened his career before it even began - he was set to make his Test debut as a 19-year-old in Australia in 2009, instead he spent two years out of the game - Boult running in and hunting for the top of off stump at 140 kph was a pleasing sight. His first spell of eight overs included three maidens, plenty of jaffas, and the wicket of opener Stephen Cook.
In walked Amla. The ball cringed at the sight of him and hid beyond the boundary every chance it could. He looked in such ominous touch that his batting average of 18.62 at Kingsmead, his home ground, seemed like a computer error. He had contributed 40 of the 53 runs South Africa accumulated in the ten overs leading to lunch, favouring the cover drive. Six of his ten fours came in that region as New Zealand attempted to stay off his pads and ended up overcompensating.
So Kane Williamson called on Boult again, who promptly confounded the opposition's best batsman. An inswinger demanded Amla come forward - he couldn't - nibbled on the inside edge and settled in wicketkeeper BJ Watling's gloves. Boult wasn't able to turn the tide like that on the tours to Australia in late 2015, nor was he his usual self in the home Tests that followed. But at Kingsmead, he pitched the ball on off stump with remarkable precision and the batsman did not know whether it would carry on with the angle or veer back at him. He was a sitting duck.
So it was important that South Africa took the time to find stable ground. That responsibility fell on Temba Bavuma and the stand-in captain Faf du Plessis. The runs came at a trickle but their 54-run partnership was the second-biggest of the day. South Africa had expressed a desire not to accept mediocrity on the eve of the match and though each of their specialist batsmen spent at least 30 minutes at the crease it wouldn't please them that only one managed a fifty. Bavuma came within four runs of the mark, driving serenly and pulling authoritatively. But he was trapped lbw by Santner soon after Quinton de Kock ran down the track and spooned a catch to cover.
New Zealand had been patient, they had strangled run-flow when wickets weren't forthcoming and gave themselves the chance to pounce at the slightest opening. Literally, as it turned out.
In the fourth over after tea, Williamson flew to his right at gully and came up with a one-handed screamer to dismiss du Plessis. The bowler was Wagner, who had already caused frustration for South Africa and in particular JP Duminy by bouncing him out minutes after lunch. No one springs the leg-side trap quite like Wagner, going wide of the crease, summoning effort from some secret dimension very few fast bowlers have access to. He surprised Philander with another short one on what became the fourth over before bad light ended the day.
Things were tough at the start too. Like freshmen at a college party, Cook and Dean Elgar had spent the first several minutes assessing conditions. They tried to keep to their little corner and hoped they eventually would feel comfortable enough to shake a leg or two. Boult hit the perfect spot in the 14th over. Cook was caught in the crease, defending inside the line and with soft hands. Had that ball carried on with the angle, he would have been safe, but Boult brought it back in and claimed the edge. Quite unplayable.
Elgar was worked over in a similar manner by Doug Bracewell, who switched around the wicket to draw the batsman into pushing outside his off stump and edging to second slip. Williamson at gully put his head down and clapped his hands hard. He had said his bowlers had to be "creative" to get their wickets in Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. Nothing of that sort was required at Kingsmead, where the red ball swung just enough to play on the nerves of a top order that hadn't played Test cricket in seven months.
Day 2
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
It seemed the only thing Dale Steyn's angry eyes did not have power over was the weather. While the grey clouds gave him swing, and he controlled it so well that South Africa's total of 263 assumed excellent proportions, they also brought rain which allowed only 16 overs to be bowled on the second day at Kingsmead.
New Zealand were 15 for 2 at lunch and they stayed 15 for 2 when play was called off at tea time.
The day had begun a little late with South Africa's tail batting. Trent Boult designed a beauty - away swing that almost bowled Kagiso Rabada around his legs. Tim Southee, playing his first Test in South Africa, kissed the top of leg stump. The man he dismissed, that old pro Steyn, took four balls when New Zealand batted to make clear his having played no Tests in eight months would only serve to embellish his legend. It was a fast-bowling fashion show in Durban.
Martin Guptill was distracted by a bevy of outswingers before one moved in and struck the front pad. Steyn whirled around, his veins popping and spit flying in appeal. Umpire Richard Illingworth calmly shook his head in response.
"Crack it open, boy," leered the slip cordon. Tom Latham found himself ganged up on. Then he was sucked in by one that pretended to be a half-volley.
Steyn had watched Latham playing with extreme care, making sure his bat didn't stray too far from his body and committing himself to a shot as late as possible. But a batsman's instinct is to score runs and that instinct flared up when the second ball of the seventh over was pitched wide. Latham fished outside off. Steyn bagged him, tagged him and would have instagrammed him if he was allowed to.
Guptill's front pad and Steyn's inswing went out on a second date right in front of middle stump. The romance was so compelling that even umpire Illingworth had to give his blessing.
Steyn's first spell read 6-4-3-2. After a point he felt he was getting too much movement and began bowling cross-seamers to have a better chance at snatching the outside edge. He was on 408 wickets and needed 14 more for the South African record.
Into this walked Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, their averages of 10.75 and 11 in South Africa hanging over them along with the dark clouds. They had only played three matches in this country, but they were New Zealand's two best batsmen. Regrouping on day three with them at the crease may just be the best of a bad situation for the visitors.
New Zealand will need some luck though because overcast conditions are forecast on the third day as well and South Africa have an attack capable of exploiting them. Vernon Philander, coming back to Test cricket for the first time since injuring his ankle in November 2015, bustled in to string together balls on a good length and jerk them this way and that. There was one delivery that came down perfectly straight, pitched a few inches in front of Taylor's front foot and seamed away so sharply it seemed like a freakishly quick legbreak.
The stage was … wet after the break. Gloomy conditions - despite the floodlights - meant New Zealand were confined to their dressing room, which they wouldn't have minded. It was safe indoors, and the All Blacks were thumping the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
It wasn't rain that kept the players out for the rest of the day. For the most part the light just wasn't good enough, leaving the 2543 people at Kingsmead, approximately one-tenth its capacity, equally frustrated. Helpfully, play was called off with an hour remaining for them to scramble and catch the start of the Springboks' Championship campaign.
The outfield in Durban had been relaid last year and a few chunks did come out when fielders slid to retrieve the ball. With more rain expected at night, there was concern over whether it would be ready in time for play to restart tomorrow at 10 am.
Day 3
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Looks deceived at Kingsmead when despite blue skies and sunshine, no play was possible on day three. A wet outfield, which has not recovered from the recent relaying process, took 65mm of rain overnight and did not dry out over the course of the morning and early afternoon. It has received a full day of sunshine and, barring any further mishaps, should be ready for play on Monday morning.
Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and the rest of South Africa's attack will find conditions completely different to what they were when they took the field on Saturday afternoon. The overcast skies and persistent drizzle have moved away and after a full day of sun, the pitch would have flattened out.
After rain interrupted play on Saturday afternoon, a steady drizzle turned into a downpour and although the showers had abated by 6am, the outfield was covered with water. Conditions improved significantly between then and 9:30, when it was announced that the morning session would be lost and an inspection would take place at noon.
The umpires asked for no artificial measures to be used in drying the outfield in that time, preferring to use the natural processes of sunlight and wind. The super-sopper was not brought out because the muddy patches were too soft and using it would only have worsened the damp outfield.
By 12pm, there was further improvement but areas outside the square - which were in pristine condition - and along the perimeter of the outfield, where scant grass had left the sandy patches exposed, were still too wet. Underfoot conditions were deemed "treacherous," and a second inspection was planned for 2pm. Even then, the damp patches had not improved enough for play to resume.
Of particular concern were patches where puddles had gathered at the edge of the covers, which will lead to questions over the number of covers at Kingsmead. Currently, Kingsmead's covers keep the pitch and square protected but do not extend to the rest of the outfield. It is estimated that Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union would need around R400,000 (US$30000). Should cricket be played in winter again, that investment may have to be made but this time, few would have expected it was needed.
Winter rainfall has been prevalent this year despite it being an unusual occurrence in Durban. In the last three weeks, the same amount of rain has fallen that the city usually gets over the three months from August to October. The excessive rain, along with the delayed start to the relaying of the outfield which took place in June, left the outfield unable to cope with the unexpected moisture. Light was also a concern with early sunsets threatening to eat away at playing time, but play continued until 5:20pm on the first day. Still, 12.2 overs were lost on day one and 68 on day two, bringing the total number of overs lost to 170.2.
Still, 180 overs remain and with good weather forecast for the next two days, there may be enough time for a result other than a draw. Sunday's tickets will be valid for the remaining two days or for a Dolphins domestic match later this season.
Day 4
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
By Monday, when there was no cricket played again, eight of 12 sessions in the Kingsmead Test had been lost to rain and an outfield that had become quite soft underfoot. Conditions should brighten up for the final day of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, but considering the match is barely into its second innings, the likelihood of a result appears quite bleak.
There has been no rain over the past 48 hours. But the damage caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when a recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water could not be overcome. Considering it was winter in Durban, the prospect of the outfield drying out under the sun was also relatively low.
The existing facilities at Kingsmead allow only the square to be covered in case of rain. When the umpires inspected the ground prior to the start of play - 10 am - on Monday, they found patches of the unprotected outfield still gave way to pressure sparking concern for the safety of the players.
A second inspection was scheduled for 12 pm, the only outcome of which was the time of the next inspection at 2pm. The match officials conferred together again and called play off at 2.18 pm.
Two days ago, when last there was cricket at Kingsmead, New Zealand were 15 for 2, with Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease, trailing South Africa's 263 by 248 runs.
Day 5
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
Match drawn
The Durban Test was called off on day five, more than half an hour before the scheduled start of play, as the issues with the soft, damp outfield persisted. That meant 11 of the 15 sessions were lost to rain and the subsequent wetness and softening of the outfield.
The damage was caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when the recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water. Since then, there had been no rain, but the outfield - which was not fully covered when the rain came down - did not recover in the weak, winter Durban sun.
Three days ago, when the last of the cricket was played, New Zealand were 15 for 2 in response to South Africa's 263 with the ball swinging around significantly and the Test promising to be an interesting contest.
South Africa 236/8 (77.4 ov)
New Zealand
The first day of Test cricket in August at Kingsmead felt like a play. There was the roguish charmer, Trent Boult, making the new ball weave shapes the batsman couldn't fathom. There was the graceful warrior, Hashim Amla, finding the boundary with the softest of touches. There was the man who defies pain, Neil Wagner, summoning bouncers late in the day. There was guts from Temba Bavuma. And finally there was Mitchell Santner, the sneaky saboteur who ensured the curtains came down with New Zealand smiling.
South Africa, having opted to bat, lurched from 102 for 2 to 160 for 5 and were finally holding on at 236 for 8 at stumps, with Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn at the crease.
There was a distinct narrative in each session of play. The first was for the purists, and for those moved by drama, for Boult was slaying an old demon. Ever since a back injury in June 2015, he had looked a paler force. His average bobbed over 36, he leaked three runs an over, and some were worried he had lost his inswing. Considering a stress fracture to his back had threatened his career before it even began - he was set to make his Test debut as a 19-year-old in Australia in 2009, instead he spent two years out of the game - Boult running in and hunting for the top of off stump at 140 kph was a pleasing sight. His first spell of eight overs included three maidens, plenty of jaffas, and the wicket of opener Stephen Cook.
In walked Amla. The ball cringed at the sight of him and hid beyond the boundary every chance it could. He looked in such ominous touch that his batting average of 18.62 at Kingsmead, his home ground, seemed like a computer error. He had contributed 40 of the 53 runs South Africa accumulated in the ten overs leading to lunch, favouring the cover drive. Six of his ten fours came in that region as New Zealand attempted to stay off his pads and ended up overcompensating.
So Kane Williamson called on Boult again, who promptly confounded the opposition's best batsman. An inswinger demanded Amla come forward - he couldn't - nibbled on the inside edge and settled in wicketkeeper BJ Watling's gloves. Boult wasn't able to turn the tide like that on the tours to Australia in late 2015, nor was he his usual self in the home Tests that followed. But at Kingsmead, he pitched the ball on off stump with remarkable precision and the batsman did not know whether it would carry on with the angle or veer back at him. He was a sitting duck.
So it was important that South Africa took the time to find stable ground. That responsibility fell on Temba Bavuma and the stand-in captain Faf du Plessis. The runs came at a trickle but their 54-run partnership was the second-biggest of the day. South Africa had expressed a desire not to accept mediocrity on the eve of the match and though each of their specialist batsmen spent at least 30 minutes at the crease it wouldn't please them that only one managed a fifty. Bavuma came within four runs of the mark, driving serenly and pulling authoritatively. But he was trapped lbw by Santner soon after Quinton de Kock ran down the track and spooned a catch to cover.
New Zealand had been patient, they had strangled run-flow when wickets weren't forthcoming and gave themselves the chance to pounce at the slightest opening. Literally, as it turned out.
In the fourth over after tea, Williamson flew to his right at gully and came up with a one-handed screamer to dismiss du Plessis. The bowler was Wagner, who had already caused frustration for South Africa and in particular JP Duminy by bouncing him out minutes after lunch. No one springs the leg-side trap quite like Wagner, going wide of the crease, summoning effort from some secret dimension very few fast bowlers have access to. He surprised Philander with another short one on what became the fourth over before bad light ended the day.
Things were tough at the start too. Like freshmen at a college party, Cook and Dean Elgar had spent the first several minutes assessing conditions. They tried to keep to their little corner and hoped they eventually would feel comfortable enough to shake a leg or two. Boult hit the perfect spot in the 14th over. Cook was caught in the crease, defending inside the line and with soft hands. Had that ball carried on with the angle, he would have been safe, but Boult brought it back in and claimed the edge. Quite unplayable.
Elgar was worked over in a similar manner by Doug Bracewell, who switched around the wicket to draw the batsman into pushing outside his off stump and edging to second slip. Williamson at gully put his head down and clapped his hands hard. He had said his bowlers had to be "creative" to get their wickets in Zimbabwe a few weeks ago. Nothing of that sort was required at Kingsmead, where the red ball swung just enough to play on the nerves of a top order that hadn't played Test cricket in seven months.
Day 2
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
It seemed the only thing Dale Steyn's angry eyes did not have power over was the weather. While the grey clouds gave him swing, and he controlled it so well that South Africa's total of 263 assumed excellent proportions, they also brought rain which allowed only 16 overs to be bowled on the second day at Kingsmead.
New Zealand were 15 for 2 at lunch and they stayed 15 for 2 when play was called off at tea time.
The day had begun a little late with South Africa's tail batting. Trent Boult designed a beauty - away swing that almost bowled Kagiso Rabada around his legs. Tim Southee, playing his first Test in South Africa, kissed the top of leg stump. The man he dismissed, that old pro Steyn, took four balls when New Zealand batted to make clear his having played no Tests in eight months would only serve to embellish his legend. It was a fast-bowling fashion show in Durban.
Martin Guptill was distracted by a bevy of outswingers before one moved in and struck the front pad. Steyn whirled around, his veins popping and spit flying in appeal. Umpire Richard Illingworth calmly shook his head in response.
"Crack it open, boy," leered the slip cordon. Tom Latham found himself ganged up on. Then he was sucked in by one that pretended to be a half-volley.
Steyn had watched Latham playing with extreme care, making sure his bat didn't stray too far from his body and committing himself to a shot as late as possible. But a batsman's instinct is to score runs and that instinct flared up when the second ball of the seventh over was pitched wide. Latham fished outside off. Steyn bagged him, tagged him and would have instagrammed him if he was allowed to.
Guptill's front pad and Steyn's inswing went out on a second date right in front of middle stump. The romance was so compelling that even umpire Illingworth had to give his blessing.
Steyn's first spell read 6-4-3-2. After a point he felt he was getting too much movement and began bowling cross-seamers to have a better chance at snatching the outside edge. He was on 408 wickets and needed 14 more for the South African record.
Into this walked Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, their averages of 10.75 and 11 in South Africa hanging over them along with the dark clouds. They had only played three matches in this country, but they were New Zealand's two best batsmen. Regrouping on day three with them at the crease may just be the best of a bad situation for the visitors.
New Zealand will need some luck though because overcast conditions are forecast on the third day as well and South Africa have an attack capable of exploiting them. Vernon Philander, coming back to Test cricket for the first time since injuring his ankle in November 2015, bustled in to string together balls on a good length and jerk them this way and that. There was one delivery that came down perfectly straight, pitched a few inches in front of Taylor's front foot and seamed away so sharply it seemed like a freakishly quick legbreak.
The stage was … wet after the break. Gloomy conditions - despite the floodlights - meant New Zealand were confined to their dressing room, which they wouldn't have minded. It was safe indoors, and the All Blacks were thumping the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship.
It wasn't rain that kept the players out for the rest of the day. For the most part the light just wasn't good enough, leaving the 2543 people at Kingsmead, approximately one-tenth its capacity, equally frustrated. Helpfully, play was called off with an hour remaining for them to scramble and catch the start of the Springboks' Championship campaign.
The outfield in Durban had been relaid last year and a few chunks did come out when fielders slid to retrieve the ball. With more rain expected at night, there was concern over whether it would be ready in time for play to restart tomorrow at 10 am.
Day 3
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Looks deceived at Kingsmead when despite blue skies and sunshine, no play was possible on day three. A wet outfield, which has not recovered from the recent relaying process, took 65mm of rain overnight and did not dry out over the course of the morning and early afternoon. It has received a full day of sunshine and, barring any further mishaps, should be ready for play on Monday morning.
Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and the rest of South Africa's attack will find conditions completely different to what they were when they took the field on Saturday afternoon. The overcast skies and persistent drizzle have moved away and after a full day of sun, the pitch would have flattened out.
After rain interrupted play on Saturday afternoon, a steady drizzle turned into a downpour and although the showers had abated by 6am, the outfield was covered with water. Conditions improved significantly between then and 9:30, when it was announced that the morning session would be lost and an inspection would take place at noon.
The umpires asked for no artificial measures to be used in drying the outfield in that time, preferring to use the natural processes of sunlight and wind. The super-sopper was not brought out because the muddy patches were too soft and using it would only have worsened the damp outfield.
By 12pm, there was further improvement but areas outside the square - which were in pristine condition - and along the perimeter of the outfield, where scant grass had left the sandy patches exposed, were still too wet. Underfoot conditions were deemed "treacherous," and a second inspection was planned for 2pm. Even then, the damp patches had not improved enough for play to resume.
Of particular concern were patches where puddles had gathered at the edge of the covers, which will lead to questions over the number of covers at Kingsmead. Currently, Kingsmead's covers keep the pitch and square protected but do not extend to the rest of the outfield. It is estimated that Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union would need around R400,000 (US$30000). Should cricket be played in winter again, that investment may have to be made but this time, few would have expected it was needed.
Winter rainfall has been prevalent this year despite it being an unusual occurrence in Durban. In the last three weeks, the same amount of rain has fallen that the city usually gets over the three months from August to October. The excessive rain, along with the delayed start to the relaying of the outfield which took place in June, left the outfield unable to cope with the unexpected moisture. Light was also a concern with early sunsets threatening to eat away at playing time, but play continued until 5:20pm on the first day. Still, 12.2 overs were lost on day one and 68 on day two, bringing the total number of overs lost to 170.2.
Still, 180 overs remain and with good weather forecast for the next two days, there may be enough time for a result other than a draw. Sunday's tickets will be valid for the remaining two days or for a Dolphins domestic match later this season.
Day 4
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 248 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
By Monday, when there was no cricket played again, eight of 12 sessions in the Kingsmead Test had been lost to rain and an outfield that had become quite soft underfoot. Conditions should brighten up for the final day of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand, but considering the match is barely into its second innings, the likelihood of a result appears quite bleak.
There has been no rain over the past 48 hours. But the damage caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when a recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water could not be overcome. Considering it was winter in Durban, the prospect of the outfield drying out under the sun was also relatively low.
The existing facilities at Kingsmead allow only the square to be covered in case of rain. When the umpires inspected the ground prior to the start of play - 10 am - on Monday, they found patches of the unprotected outfield still gave way to pressure sparking concern for the safety of the players.
A second inspection was scheduled for 12 pm, the only outcome of which was the time of the next inspection at 2pm. The match officials conferred together again and called play off at 2.18 pm.
Two days ago, when last there was cricket at Kingsmead, New Zealand were 15 for 2, with Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease, trailing South Africa's 263 by 248 runs.
Day 5
South Africa 263
New Zealand 15/2 (12.0 ov)
Match drawn
The Durban Test was called off on day five, more than half an hour before the scheduled start of play, as the issues with the soft, damp outfield persisted. That meant 11 of the 15 sessions were lost to rain and the subsequent wetness and softening of the outfield.
The damage was caused by a substantial downpour after the second day's play when the recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water. Since then, there had been no rain, but the outfield - which was not fully covered when the rain came down - did not recover in the weak, winter Durban sun.
Three days ago, when the last of the cricket was played, New Zealand were 15 for 2 in response to South Africa's 263 with the ball swinging around significantly and the Test promising to be an interesting contest.
Monday 22 August 2016
4 Test Series WI 0-2 IND
India 302/4 (90.0 ov)
West Indies
India won the toss and elected to bat (Stumps)
Day 1 report: In the lead-up to this series, India's captain Virat Kohli arranged a meeting with Viv Richards, to take his blessings, in the words of Richards. On the first day of the series, at a ground named after Richards, Kohli, a batsman who has been compared with Richards by more than a few, showed all the intent that was a hallmark of Richards. He picked five bowlers, going for specialists ahead of those who can bat; he went with Shikhar Dhawan, who brings the possibility of quicker runs than KL Rahul; and he chose to bat first when the first session on this pitch was the only one expected to offer bowlers any assistance on the first three days.
Most importantly, with India in a spot of bother at 74 for 2 and struggling to score freely, Kohli batted with similar intent, albeit against a limited attack that must have been close to tiring out, and scored an unbeaten 143, his 12th Test century and his first against West Indies, to put India in a position from where they could look to dominate, a goal they seemed to have set themselves at the start of the series. To make it better for Kohli, his selection of Dhawan played off. Some considered him lucky to be playing in this Test, he enjoyed some luck against testing bowling at the start of the innings, but Dhawan helped India keep a disciplined West Indies attack at bay with his first half-century in eight innings. The two added 105 in 27.1 overs; the previous 74 runs had taken 27.4 overs.
India would have expected to work hard for their runs when they chose to bat on a slow pitch surrounded by a slow outfield in St John's, but hands in front of helmets as protective action wouldn't have been on the agenda. In their first Test under new bowling coach Roddy Estwick, the West Indies attack, thin on numbers but displaying tenacity, tested the Indian top order in the first session of the series. Shannon Gabriel, making a Test comeback after a good comeback in the ODI triangular series earlier in the season, rattled the openers with his pace, accounting for M Vijay with a lovely bouncer, but Dhawan was prepared to weather the storm before capitalising on the second string, an older ball and falling intensity.
The play began along expected lines. As against India's intent, West Indies took the safer route given their limited resources, playing the extra batsman, debutant Roston Chase, going in with Jason Holder as the third bowler, who on many sheets is marked as an allrounder. India were expected to look for runs, and relatively quick runs, while West Indies were expected to frustrate India. On the field, it was going to be a test of execution and endurance for West Indies.
The execution was near perfect before lunch. In his first spell of 4-2-6-1, Gabriel roughed up both Dhawan and Vijay. Dhawan had the worse of exchanges, top-edging Holder before fending hopelessly four times in a row against Gabriel. Vijay edged the second bouncer he faced for Kraigg Brathwaite to juggle a catch at second slip. Holder - first spell of 5-2-10-0 - played his part in making Gabriel effective, and Carlos Brathwaite followed it up with a spell of six overs for six runs.
Dhawan might have had the problem against the short ball, but his discipline outside off and his will to make the bowlers get his wicket stood out. He refused to fall for the sucker delivery after the short ones, shelving his cover drive - playing only seven of them - and indulging only in the late cut off Chase, who had begun to get in cheap overs of part-time offspin in the first session of this Test. Unlike Cheteshwar Pujara, who got stuck and fell for 16 off 67 after a 60-run second-wicket partnership, Dhawan kept finding a way to score. If it was the late cut at start - 14 runs off five attempts - he began to use his feet towards the end of the first session. He went into lunch with 29 off the last 26 balls, and would come back to get himself in before opening up again.
Pujara, though, fell immediately after lunch, getting a leading edge off a short legbreak from the returning Devendra Bishoo. The wicket changed the complexion of the day's play. With Kohli came out intent to score runs. This flat and slow pitch didn't call for a watertight technique, so Kohli could take a few liberties on that front, but his attitude to look to score first before falling back on other options exposed the limited West Indies attack.
Until now, West Indies had kept India quiet by bowling well outside off, but Kohli began driving at them, a shot that this early in the innings can be dangerous in some conditions, but not here. There was no seam, no unfriendly bounce, and the ball was too old to swing. As if a sign of how the West Indies concentration was now being tested, Kohli's first boundary came through a misfield, from Marlon Samuels.
Floodgates opened then. Dhawan found more authority in his cuts. He upper-cut Gabriel for a six, swept Bishoo, stopped missing chances for singles; Kohli kept driving imperiously. In the 34th over, the run rate reached three for the first time since the third over. The two kept picking ones and twos effortlessly. At one point Kohli pinched a single to Gabriel at mid-off, and told his partner, "He is very tired." Before you realised, Kohli had followed Dhawan to a half-century, bringing it up off the 75th ball he faced. Bishoo, though, came back just before tea to trap Dhawan plumb on the sweep.
Kohli came back to bring up what had looked like an inevitable century. He added 57 with an enterprising Ajinkya Rahane, who like Pujara, saw a short legbreak, shaped up to pull but didn't manage to adjust as the ball stopped and bounced at him. In another sign of intent, India had R Ashwin batting at No. 6, ahead of Wriddhiman Saha. West Indies continued with their conservative approach, happy to slow India down, not taking the new ball and getting in some quiet overs before stumps as Kohli and Ashwin added an unbeaten
Only once was there an alarm during his innings. After a mini quiet period, Kohli drove at a wide Brathwaite delivery. The edge flew wide of gully. On this pitch, such a drive to prevent the bowlers from bowling quiet overs wide outside off was a risk worth taking. As was playing five bowlers. Kohli was prepared to take both.
Day 2
India 566/8d
West Indies 31/1
West Indies trail by 535 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Virat Kohli continued his efficient and energetic accumulation of runs to bring up his maiden first-class double hundred, setting up India's declaration on 566, their joint fourth-highest score against West Indies. Promoted to No. 6, R Ashwin enjoyed some luck in the first hour of the day before strolling to his third hundred against West Indies, taking his average against them to 64.67. Given 16 overs before stumps, the Indian bowlers tried desperately for a breakthrough, and succeeded less than 10 minutes before the end of play.
That India could entertain a declaration with more than an hour to stumps was down to Kohli's scoring rate. He went at 4.2 an over; before Amit Mishra and the tail began to swing their bats pushing for declaration, the rest of the side had managed 275 runs in over 96 overs. Kohli's intent - helped no doubt by a flat pitch and tiring bowlers - foiled West Indies' plan pretty much from ball one: bowl defensively and ensure your stacked-up batting line-up has less time to survive. Apart from Shannon Gabriel, no bowler - there was only one more specialist in the side - actively looked for wickets, relying on frustrating batsmen. However, captain Kohli, India's first to score an away double, took risks and made the bowlers bowl to him because he was driving the wide ones too.
Gabriel, though, should have had his second wicket early on the second day. West Indies' wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich had waited for 423 overs over three Tests for his first opportunity at a dismissal. When Gabriel produced the outside edge from Ashwin, his eagerness to celebrate led to a sitter being grassed. Ashwin was 43 then. West Indies still managed to keep Ashwin quiet - at one point he went 40 balls for four runs - but Kohli, who resumed the day on 143 not out, kept finding a way around the defensive lines.
As was the case on day one, Gabriel bowled a short burst with the new ball, and Carlos Brathwaite followed up with a spell that tested the batsmen's patience by bowling a set of stumps outside off. The tactic had kept India's top order quiet in the first session of the match, but Kohli didn't wait for too long before taking a calculated risk, executing it so well it didn't look like a risk. Kohli has his own way of choosing what balls to drive. Each delivery of Brathwaite's first three overs was bowled to Kohli, who attempted to score off only one, the widest of the lot. It wasn't a half-volley either, but Kohli drove superbly on the up, and got a boundary to break any pressure the joining of dots creates.
Cover driving, as usual, remained the feature of Kohli's innings. When he gave the treatment to Devendra Bishoo in the 105th over, the boundary took him past his previous best of 169; it was his 50th run through the covers. A sign of how well he batted came when, in the 113th over, he played perhaps the only ungainly shot of his innings, a half-sweep across the line to deep midwicket. Turned out he had picked the rare wrong'un from Bishoo, and was actually playing with the spin.
No Test double is easy, but in the last over before lunch, Kohli strolled to one of the more inevitable ones with an easy single off a short offbreak. Kohli hadn't really played the punch off the back foot on this slow track, but perhaps now looking for even quicker runs he tried that after lunch, playing Gabriel on to the stumps. Cease fire followed. West Indies went back to bowling defensively with defensive fields, now with spinners on at both ends, which helped improve their over rate. Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha didn't look too fussed in a 69-run partnership in 24.4 overs.
Slow pitch, fielders in front, no pace to work with, and West Indies finally had a quiet half session. Ashwin didn't look in any hurry, Saha tried to break the monotony, succeeding on a couple of occasions before getting stumped. Dowrich finally had a maiden Test dismissal. Overall, though, West Indies refused to attack, which could also give India scoring opportunities, and India didn't seem overly bothered with the slow going.
Seven minutes before tea, with a back-foot punch through midwicket, Ashwin brought up his hundred, reminding you of the shot of the day, a back-foot punch through mid-on for four. Amit Mishra's enterprise at the other end, his fourth half-century, off only 68 balls, gave India the push they needed. Tired minds and bodies dropped three catches; time seemed right for declaration.
In the overs that followed, Kohli tried a lot of attacking combinations: three slips and a gully, an extra gully and really full outswingers, short leg and backward short leg for short bowling, and his trump card R Ashwin. Rajesh Chandrika, who had earlier gloved an Ishant Sharma bouncer over the keeper, finally succumbed in the 15th over, edging Shami through to the keeper.
Day 3 West Indies 243 & 21/1 (F/O) trail India 566 for 8 dec by 303 runs
Mohammed Shami bowled through the 2015 World Cup with a busted knee. By the end of it, he needed a surgery, lost out on the IPL earnings and missed more than a year of international cricket. The BCCI compensated him for the loss of IPL money, a first such recorded instance. Once he was fit, Shami walked into the Test XI in Antigua, and showed why he might be a man worth looking after.
On a slow pitch where it looked difficult to dismiss batsmen who didn't play shots, Shami bowled with menace to take four wickets after which Umesh Yadav chipped in with a four-for of his own to make West Indies follow on 323 runs behind. In the follow-on, the other quick, Ishant Sharma got rid of Kraigg Brathwaite, a man known for quiet defiance who denied India for 218 balls in the first innings, in the first over.
The time away from the game was well spent from the looks on it. In his last Test series, Shami was guilty of offering runs on the pads too often as he bowled for longer. The coaches identified long strides in his run-up as the problem, a result of too much bowling in his first year of international cricket. Shami came back with shorter strides, stayed at the batsmen for longer, provided fewer freebies, and took out the heart of the West Indies batting when it looked difficult to prise wickets out. A word of caution, though: West Indies, not the best going around, contributed to their dismissals.
Brathwaite didn't. From the time he and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo frustrated India for 16 overs, it was clear the bowlers would have to work hard. Patience, the buzzword leading into the series, was tested. A measure of the difficulty in taking 20 wickets was how both wickets in the first session came through injudicious shots. It was a period when West Indies didn't look for runs, which made it difficult for wickets to come.
The resistance was led by Brathwaite, who rode his luck a little at the start of the day's play. When he was attacked with a forward and backward short leg, he failed to keep the balls angled into his ribs down on at least three occasions, but managed to avoid the fielders. His partner Bishoo's outside edge was beaten at least seven times. It would have frustrated India all the more that Bishoo faced only 15 balls in the first eight overs of the morning.
The early jitters out of the way, Brathwaite dug in for the kind of innings he is known for. Bowling outside off to him, if not a long half-volley, was a waste of energy. At the other end, though, India began to make inroads. Amit Mishra, introduced ahead of R Ashwin, provided the first breakthrough when Bishoo played an impatient sweep shot and dragged his foot over to be stumped. Just before lunch, Kohli sensed an opportunity and went back to Shami, who had been desperately unlucky in his first spell of 6-1-16-0.
Shami glided in and remained threatening even if the batsmen were patient. Darren Bravo wasn't even patient. This was the time India were getting restless, but he calmed them down by flirting with a wide delivery five minutes before lunch. The ball did bounce more than expected to take the edge, but Bravo had played with an angled bat with his feet stuck on the leg stump.
On the way back for lunch, Kohli was heard telling his bowlers, "This is the reward for patience." More reward was to follow in the second session. Marlon Samuels, who might be playing his last Test series, is not a proactive batsman. He likes top sit back on the back foot, and lets bowlers bowl where they want. Shami did so soon enough, in the fifth over after lunch. He bowled an in-between length, which dragged Samuels forward even though his weight was back. The ball held its line to take the edge. An aggressive short ball took the shoulder of Jermaine Blackwood's bat to end a double-wicket maiden. This was the first dismissal that didn't include Wriddhiman Saha.
From 92 for 5, Brathwaite and debutant Roston Chase resisted for more than 16 overs. They were undone by a man often guilty of not using the crease and also offering freebies on the pads, Yadav. While he did offer freebies here too, especially in the first session, he showed a clear intent of using different angles to make the batsmen play at balls they would otherwise leave. The reward came unconventionally.
Chase pulled an inviting short ball straight down the lap of short midwicket followed by a brute to Brathwaite, who on 74 didn't look like he was going to make a mistake. Yadav went wide on the crease, angled a bouncer in, got Brathwaite to throw his gloves in front of his face.
Playing his first Test as a specialist wicketkeeper, Shane Dowrich scored his second Test half-century, an unbeaten 57, to hold India off in the final session of the day, but didn't cause enough damage to prevent a follow-on. Yadav took out Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite in successive balls to seemingly end the frustrating experience with the tail. Holder edged a wide outswinger to give Saha an India record-equalling sixth dismissal, and Brathwaite pre-meditated a leave to be bowled. Dowrich, though, annoyed India a little more in partnership with No. 11 Shannon Gabriel, who lasted two balls once the legspin of Mishra was introduced.
With only 90.2 overs bowled in the first innings, with a possible 13 overs to go before a full night's rest and with five bowlers in his side, Kohli enforced the first follow-on for India since late 2012 against England in Ahmedabad. Ishant Sharma provided instant pay-off with an inswinger that trapped Brathwaite in front, but Bravo and Rajendra Chandrika prevented further damage.
Day 4
India 566/8d
West Indies 243 & 231 (f/o)
India won by an innings and 92 runs
It took more than four sessions coming, but once R Ashwin found his rhythm he ran through the West Indies batting to seal India's first innings win in the West Indies. Just after lunch on day four, with India needing eight wickets to finish the match, Ashwin found the dip and drift and cut out on the loose balls to earn himself a five-for and a hundred in the same Test for a second time, more than any Indian. West Indies, as in the first innings, couldn't offer much resistance, and folded up in 78 overs, 12.2 fewer than the first time around.
Before Ashwin struck, Marlon Samuels and Rajendra Chandrika had managed to hold India up for 22 overs, which did frustrate India a little, not entirely of its own volition. After Umesh Yadav had removed Darren Bravo in the first over of the morning - a repeat feeble push to a wide delivery from the first innings - an umpiring decision got India's goat. In his first over of the morning, Mohammed Shami hit Samuels' glove and offered a low chance to Wriddhiman Saha's left, which the wicketkeeper claimed immediately.
Coach Anil Kumble, watching from the balcony, lifted his finger after the first replay. However, the replays - understandably not enough angles or quality for financial reasons - didn't return a verdict beyond reasonable doubt nor was there a soft signal made by the on-field umpires. So the benefit of the doubt went to Samuels. His bat obscured the front-on replay somewhat, and there was nothing else to go by. No zoomer was used. The third umpire erred on the side of caution.
Virat Kohli wasn't amused. He was seen in an animated conversation with Ian Gould, with whom he wasn't too happy on day two either when the latter's conversation on a walkie-talkie denied India an extra over before stumps. Kumble didn't look impressed either. Soon rain arrived, 40 minutes before lunch, and several players walked straight to a laptop and sat huddled around it, watching it from different angles.
Thankfully calm presided with Chandrika defending sedately and Samuels hitting smoothly. In a glimpses of what makes him a frustrating Test batsman to watch - a superb stroke maker but an average under 35 - Samuels drove and cut gorgeously to take 23 off the next 19 balls. India lost 15 minutes because of the rain, but after the early lunch break it was all Ashwin.
When he came back from the break, Ashwin had bowled 22 overs in the match, and was the only wicketless Indian bowler. He had bowled one in the mini session before stumps on day two, but kept getting cut on day three. On a pitch not offering much turn, against batsmen who were happy to sit back, Ashwin was being made to work hard. Post lunch, though, he finally put together a spell. In his first over after the break, Ashwin beat Samuels in the flight, with the ball dipping and hitting him on the pad. The next ball didn't turn as much, and took a soft outside edge for two runs. The next over was probing too, and included a leading edge. You could sense Ashwin was building something up now.
Ashwin didn't have to wait too long. Two probing overs later, he had Chandrika believing he was driving at a half-volley, but the dip created distance, and Saha juggled a low catch off the batsman's pad. Replays weren't conclusive vis-Ã -vis the inside edge, but Chandrika didn't protest at all. Next up was Jermaine Blackwood, for a pair. Once again, Ashwin created the distance with drift and dip, and the offbreak was driven to short midwicket.
A wicketless Ashwin over later, Samuels became the victim of drift. As it is, Samuels likes staying beside the line, but this one drifted away, and then didn't turn as much as he expected, hitting the top of off stump. The ball kept dipping on the inexperienced batsmen, who were arguably facing this quality of spin bowling for the first time, and debutant Rolston Chase soon fell to forward short leg because his intended block didn't reach the pitch of the ball.
Amit Mishra broke the Ashwin streak with a topspinner that trapped Shane Dowrich, but Ashwin finished his first five-for outside Asia with another beauty. Jason Holder thought he could drive at this seemingly full offbreak, but the ball drifted away to create the bat-pad gap, and turned through it to hit the leg stump. Ashwin had now taken five wickets in 51 balls.
It seemed it would be a matter of time now, but India got fancy with bowling changes, and Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo made India wait 24.1 overs for their ninth wicket. Forced to take the tea break, Ashwin came back to end the match with the wickets of Bishoo and Shannon Gabriel in one over.
2nd Test
Day 1
West Indies 196
India 126/1 (37.0 ov)
India trail by 70 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Batting isn't easy at Sabina Park. In 20 years, no ground has been quite as stingy in giving up Test match runs. Ask the local boy Marlon Samuels, who had to wait nearly 10 overs to get off the mark. Or the five Indian bowlers, who excelled after they were gifted first use of a pitch with live grass and considerable moisture. West Indies chose to bat and crumbled to 196 all out. Side note, R Ashwin secured his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests.
Batting is not impossible at Sabina Park. It is the venue that gave cricket the number 365, with a little help from Sir Garry Sobers. It was where Brian Lara proved he wasn't just the Prince of Trinidad but King of the World. West Indies do not have players of that calibre willing to play Tests at the moment, but with a little more conviction, they could have been batting when the conditions were at their best for it. Instead, they were all out in 51.3 overs and the final-session bounty went to KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on a brisk 75 off 114 balls. A fine knock from India's back-up opener, marking his return to Test cricket after nearly a year.
The West Indian quicks pitched too full or too short or too wide. Their legspinner Devendra Bishoo began with three long hops. If there was a plan, its last step possibly read "execute at your own peril". It didn't help that when they did fool the batsman, luck wasn't with them. Dhawan drove lazily outside off stump, twice, but neither carried to the fielders. Rahul, anxious to get the four runs he needed for a fifty, hit offspinner Roston Chase against the turn and was dropped by Darren Bravo at short midwicket. That both batsmen felt no need to temper themselves was perhaps an indication of what they thought of the opposition's ability to pose a threat even on a helpful pitch.
Virat Kohli had said it had been "damp" at the toss. The ball swung and seamed. It came to the batsman at a pace he couldn't trust; it bounced inappropriately. All of that was the result of the moisture not entirely out of place in the first session of a Test match, especially at a ground where batsmen have only averaged 25-odd since 1996.
Batsmen had to stow the drive away in such conditions, but Ashwin, Ishant and Shami constantly put the ball at a fullish length on middle and off stump. Kohli had an even spread of close catchers - three for the outside edge and three for the inside edge. And West Indies were asked to play shots they knew could get them out.
So Jermaine Blackwood began by leaving his second ball; it only barely bounced over off stump. Later, he lunged forward to defend Ashwin, but couldn't reach it on the half-volley and was struck on the chest. Samuels was tempted into driving on the up by Ishant on 0, and was nearly done in when the ball leapt up at him. Shane Dowrich was caught behind trying to leave the ball. It seemed like West Indies were in a dark, cramped tunnel and even the light at the end of it was India celebrating around a bonfire.
Ashwin was having fun once more. While his first wicket may have come in fortunate circumstances - an lbw against Blackwood shown by HawkEye to only graze the outside of leg stump - the next one exemplified the confidence he has in himself. Samuels had just torched a six straight down the ground. He was invited to do so again, this one tossed up even higher. When the ball was halfway down its path, however, Samuels realised he would never get close enough to its pitch. Ashwin's dip had taken care of that. A hastily executed flick resulted in an inside edge that was safely caught at short leg. Ashwin had Dowrich caught behind, while Holder and Bishoo were beaten in flight; the five-for was rather academic.
India had to grit their teeth through a few stages: the 62 balls that Blackwood batted for his half-century, the two balls that Bishoo nicked to the keeper and was not given by umpire Ian Gould, the 38 balls that debutant Miguel Cummins - playing in place of Carlos Brathwaite - and Shannon Gabriel swung around for, and the one that consumed Shikhar Dhawan to give Chase his first Test wicket with less than an hour to stumps.
Everything else, however, went their way. Kraigg Brathwaite, stout of defence and temperament, fell to a simple trap. Two men were put under helmets at forward and backward short leg. Ishant bowled a short ball angled towards the batsman's ribs - predictable considering the field placing - and Brathwaite promptly fended to Pujara in front of square.
Darren Bravo fell to a simple trap too, but through no fault of his own. Ishant went around the stumps to make sure the left-hander would feel he has to play more than he could leave. India were aiming at his weakness outside off stump, with a bowler known for straightening the ball off the pitch. Ishant pitched it full on fifth stump, drew Bravo into a block, claimed the edge that was caught by second slip. Shami had Rajendra Chandrika nicking off to gully.
Blackwood walked out with the score at 7 for 3. West Indies hadn't seen such dire times against India since the Port-of-Spain Test in 1983. Blackwood was in the middle of dire times himself, having bagged a second pair in five Tests, and was a prime candidate to be dropped to accommodate an extra bowler. The selectors kept faith in him, however, and his counter-attacking half-century was the only high point for West Indies.
Day 2
West Indies 196
India 358/5 (125.0 ov)
India lead by 162 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Flawless innings are fairly rare in Test cricket. After all, the bowler gets to dictate some of the terms too. KL Rahul listened to them patiently, respected them when they made good points but did not cede his upper hand. His career-best 158 thrust India into the lead.
At the other end was Cheteshwar Pujara, who spent a full hour running away from making runs. He was 18 off 57 overnight and stayed on 18 until he faced his 92nd ball of the match. Much was made of his run-out after lunch. Facing 159 balls and being dismissed in that fashion evokes critique but there were mitigating circumstances.
Runs and records awaited anyone willing to show a little application on this Sabina Park pitch. But like a grandparent doting on their favourite grandkid in the middle of a party, it did embarrass them on the odd occasion. Notably, when Pujara nudged a short delivery from Jason Holder into the leg side. He meant for it to go a lot finer, but the ball had come onto the bat slower than expected and went off it in the same way, allowing Roston Chase, who was in front of square, to cut across and throw the stumps down. Pujara, who was face-down on the ground at the non-strikers' end, knew all his hard work had come undone by one dreadful mistake.
Meanwhile, Rahul kept cruising. He had driven extremely well and by now wasn't afraid to extend the arms and hit over the top. A good IPL - whether it makes one ready for international cricket or not - certainly does wonders to his confidence. Rahul had outshone Chris Gayle in the last season and his attacking game was on point in Kingston.
West Indies, it seemed, were at the other end. There was no ambition. They did not take the new ball when it was available and instead fed a new batsman with spin. Considering that new batsman was Virat Kohli, who is susceptible to the seamers outside the off stump, it was quite baffling. With very little resistance, a ninth - out of 12 - Indian partnership crossed 50 in this series.
Things changed after tea. West Indies took the new ball and put it in Shannon Gabriel's hands. With him coming back from an ankle injury, it seemed like his team was perennially juggling chances of victory with those of him going out of commission again. Hamstring trouble for Miguel Cummins complicated matters further; the debutant was the only one to consistently aim at the stumps. Ask Pujara, who was beaten on the inside edge, outside edge and rapped on his top hand.
Gabriel had had nine overs' downtime when the new ball had become available, but the additional respite seemed to have helped since he took out Rahul and troubled Kohli too. The India captain had been perturbed by outswingers - 8 off 33 at one point - and while his guard was up for that, he couldn't prevent an inswinger thudding into the pads. Height saved him in umpire Aleem Dar's judgment.
West Indies got Kohli and R Ashwin in the final hour of play but Ajinkya Rahane took the lead past 150.
Things were better in the morning. There weren't many runs scored - 59 in 26 overs; there weren't many fans around - sad for a Sunday; there were no wickets but there was a contest.
With clear skies welcoming the players on the second day, the likelihood of the ball seaming about had reduced. It was time to go back to camping just outside off stump for as long as it took to spot the rare, flirty Indian outside edge. Gabriel found one in his second over, but it didn't carry to second slip.
Rahul's scariest moment came when the length was much shorter, a 144 kph delivery that seamed in at his ribs. He probably assumed the line was a lot wider and committed into a cut shot and only barely avoided being caught behind. Gabriel was the aggrieved bowler, and fit the profile too, with a look that loosely translated to "where are my *$&#^ wickets?" His first spell was five overs - the longest he has bowled on the trot in this series - and gave away only three runs.
The last time India played in Jamaica a Rahul scored a century. So it was again when this Rahul came down the track and smacked the offspin of Chase into the stands at long-on. It was a shot definitive of the knock, showing how the batsman had read the threat of the ball early and how firm he was with his footwork. The only thing it didn't make clear was how effective he had been in keeping the good ones out. A delighted fist-pump, an authoritative raise of his bat and a hug from M Vijay, who came out with drinks, were part of the celebrations.
Coming into the Jamaica Test, Rahul's top five scores in descending order read: 110, 108, 16, 7, 5. Symptoms of a good player, but a nervous starter. So even with the 75 runs he had overnight, there were questions that needed answering. West Indies had a set plan at the start - the extra pace of Gabriel allied to Holder's wide-outside-off lines to restrict run flow and create pressure. An anxious batsman could have been led into a mistake, but Rahul was careful. And decisive too - when he went back, he went right back. When he went forward, he was more or less meeting the ball on the half-volley. Not since Mohammad Azharuddin in 1984-85 had an India batsman converted his first three fifties into hundreds.
Rahul is working towards making himself undroppable. Vijay, currently injured, Kohli and Rahane are India's best Test batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan has shown an improved judgement outside his off stump, an area he had previously struggled with. Pujara hits big hundreds, his inability to do so on Sunday hurt him. Will it hurt his chances for the next too? One of them can't make an Indian XI with five bowlers.
Day 3
West Indies 196 & 0/0
India 500/9d
West Indies trail by 304 runs
A Test match can be a bit like a puppy dog. And great players can lead it wherever they want. This West Indian XI does not have great players. They have great triers. Captain Jason Holder and coach Phil Simmons put the men on defence - understandable considering the opposition had a fat lead. Despite their best efforts, the only thing that seemed to threaten India's chances in Kingston was the weather. A tropical storm has been forecast to hit the region on the fourth day.
Ajinkya Rahane found himself part of a pattern, one that has been central to India's success in the Caribbean. They have batted eleven-and-a-half sessions in this series. And a set batsman had been out there every time. Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin began the trend in Antigua. It continued with KL Rahul yesterday and Rahane today, as he got to his fifty with a fierce square cut to the third man boundary. It was a shot he used often and his back-foot play overall was excellent.
India weren't pushing themselves to full tilt though. The mountains on the horizon were obscured by heavy cloud. Rain came seven overs after lunch and spirited 52 minutes out of the game. Offspinning allrounder Roston Chase took two wickets in two balls and had them eight down when play resumed. The run-scoring stayed sedate.
Virat Kohli, sipping tea in the dressing room, was still in his training gear. He was clearly not thinking about the declaration. Perhaps Rahane approaching a Test century away from home had something to do with that. And with only Nos. 10 and 11 for company he began to farm the strike. This was where West Indies' discipline paid off. They had given away only 142 runs in 46.1 overs. They made India bat long for a lead they liked. Three hundred and four runs behind, with more than two days left, saving this Test will be incredibly hard for Holder and his men, but with severe inclement weather around, the possibility can't be ruled out.
Rahane squirted an outside edge between slip and the wicketkeeper in the 170th over to reach his third hundred in four innings, captured on camera by the coach Anil Kumble and celebrated vigorously by his team-mates. The locals at Sabina Park had something to cheer too when Chase induced a top edge from Umesh Yadav to wrap up his first five-for in his second Test. With a high-arm action resembling Nathan Lyon, he got the ball to dip and bounce. Amit Mishra failed to get to the pitch of one and caught at short leg. Seconds later Mohammed Shami was bowled playing down the wrong line. Chase had worn a sheepish grin yesterday when he conceded he hadn't liked going without a wicket on debut. Now he was leading his team off.
India had pushed their lead over 300 - thanks to a lovely six over long-on from Rahane - and Kohli said that was enough. West Indies were looking at an uncomfortable half-an-hour of batting before tea, but they were saved the trouble when another shower came by and ended the session's play.
Day 4
West Indies 196 & 48/4 (15.5 ov)
India 500/9d
West Indies trail by 256 runs with 6 wickets remaining
Earl, the tropical storm threatening Kingston, allowed for only 15.5 overs on the fourth morning. In that time, India helped themselves to four wickets, suggesting all they needed was a session or two more to wrap up a Test victory. At lunch, West Indies were trailing by 256 runs in their second innings.
An early start - at 9.30 am - had been scuppered by overnight rain leaving the outfield rather wet. When the players finally got on the field at 10.45 am only three overs were possible before a couple of sharp showers forced them back into the dressing rooms. A good chunk of the session was played amid a mild drizzle, which at one point got strong enough to halt play for about a minute before it disappeared into thin air.
West Indies felt tentative batting in these conditions. Not least because the heavy cloud cover was helping the new ball swing nicely. Mohammed Shami used it to his advantage, pitching one on middle and seaming it away to hit the top of Marlon Samuels' off stump for a five-ball duck at his home ground. In his next over, with lunch only seconds away, Shami had Darren Bravo caught in the slips with a well-directed short ball.
Bravo lasted 37 balls, most of which were looking to maim his nose. He did not look to attack them. He struggled to defend them. He often took his eyes off them. Eventually he fell to one of them.
The weather was bad, which might have worried India but West Indies' abysmal batting sent them to lunch with beaming smiles.
Although not as wide as India's smiles, there were cracks on this pitch now, around the short-of-a-length area. Ishant Sharma is naturally a hit-the-deck bowler. When he did so at the start of his second over, it stayed low. Two balls later, however, it gained some extra bounce, hit Rajendra Chandrika's elbow as he was trying to leave the ball outside off and cannoned onto his stumps. Chandrika made 1; his Test average is currently 14 after 10 innings. No West Indian opener has been as bad.
Kraigg Brathwaite had looked a lot better against the short ball. He cut and pulled at the first opportunity against the fast bowlers. Could he bat as well against spin? Virat Kohli brought Amit Mishra on in the 13th over. Mishra bowled one unintentionally short. Brathwaite played an awful pull shot - his feet not going back and across to generate power - and was caught excellently by KL Rahul running back from midwicket.
Kohli ran up to his bowler, his mouth open, his eyes wide, laughing. Mishra hugged his captain, bemusement on his face. Rain that started one minute and left the next. Batsmen who didn't really know what to do. And bowlers who were taking wickets as easily as they snapped their fingers. It was all just a little silly for Test cricket.
Day 5
West Indies 196 & 388/6
India 500/9d
Match drawn
There is a lot to be said of Roston Chase. He's languid at the crease. He plays late and close to his body. He wasn't perturbed by a tough situation. And his timing stood out. Two days short of 50 years and six days after 80th birthday of the last man to do so, he became the first West Indian to combine a hundred and a five-for in the same Test.
Of course, for that to happen he had to hit the ball sweetly too. He looked correct when he defended, graceful when he attacked and bloody determined all through. Sir Garry Sobers wouldn't have minded ceding his record to an innings like that. Not to a fellow Bajan. And certainly not when it helped West Indies draw a Test they seemed almost certain to lose.
On day four, along with 82.1 overs, it appeared West Indies' fight had gone missing too. Their openers fell early, and in ungainly fashion. One senior player fell for a duck and another was a sitting duck against a short ball. It had become a walk in the park for India. This morning, however, they were made to run. The first 25 balls cost 40 runs. The fast bowlers were hit through the line and over the top. The spinners were hit against the turn. Chase had finally made it a contest. At tea, he had the favourite sweating. An hour and a half later, he made Virat Kohli concede and take the draw.
India tried to bounce him, he pulled them away. India used reverse swing, he kept them out shortening his backlift. India had tried to spin him out, but his open stance showed him exactly what was coming at him. On 99, he flicked a ball on his pads right through the man at midwicket, completed the single and celebrated his first Test hundred in his second Test match by crossing his hands in the shape of an 'X' over his head. His coach and team-mates were clapping with gusto. Sir Viv Richards was up on his feet screaming "Roston!"
From the other end, Jamaica's own Jermaine Blackwood smashed 63 off 54 balls and the man who replaced him Shane Dowrich applied himself beautifully. He fell 26 short of a maiden Test hundred when umpire Ian Gould adjudged him lbw to Amit Mishra not spotting an inside edge.
This is only the third time over the last 12 Tests that a Sabina Park crowd got to watch cricket on the fifth day. And while their numbers could have been better, their investment in the match couldn't be faulted too much. One fan implored Dowrich to "come again" - meaning restart - after he turned his nose up at the turn a Mishra legbreak go. The outside edge evaded a diving Ajinkya Rahane at slip. Another boomed "good shot, good shot" when Chase drove R Ashwin down the ground. Among the fans was Sheldon Cottrell, who had completed his CPL stint last week, was in attendance with his little girl on his lap. They were all watching history.
India bowled 69.1 overs. They could eke out only two wickets. For the first time in nine days, their opposition was willing to give, well, opposition. Kohli began to chirp at Chase to see if he could be unruffled. Mishra fielded a ball that was pushed back at him and flung it back at the batsman in frustration. Things were getting out of hand. More accurately, West Indies were not giving anything away under the the kind of pressure where giving away an inch was as good as giving away a mile. Chase and Dowrich raised the team's first hundred partnership of the series at the rate of 3.77 runs per over. Chase and Blackwood had added 93 runs at 5.26 an over. This was not back-to-the wall batting. This was special.
Those in the know say batsmen need to switch on and switch off. But it was difficult to say if Chase ever switched off. His expression did not change throughout. The smallest of smiles broke through when he secured his century; it was only his third in first-class cricket and this was only his 31st first-class match. He was batting like he had a 100 of each. He defied India when they had secured a lead of 304 runs, and then taken four wickets in only 15.5 overs on a rain-hit fourth day. With 98.1 overs on the final day, they were supposed to get back-to-back Test victories in a series away from home. Something that has not happened since 2005, against Zimbabwe. Dilute the equation to the top-eight teams, and you end up at 1986, against England.
Mohammed Shami tried hard, making both the old and the new ball swing. Ishant Sharma tried hard, bowling nagging lines and squaring batsmen up. Ashwin couldn't have one of his days. Umesh Yadav and Mishra were disappointing.
West Indies saw every ball that came down, inspected them carefully and then put them in their place. As good as the strokes themselves was the batsmen's belief they could measure up.
Blackwood showed it when he lifted Mohammed Shami over his head for a six. When he leapt back, stood tall and hit R Ashwin despite the extra bounce to the cover boundary. He became the first West Indian since Shivnarine Chanderpaul in 2014 to hit two half-centuries in the same match.
Dowrich showed it when he lofted Ashwin over the long-on fence. When he used Umesh Yadav's reverse swing to his advantage and flicked through midwicket and when he topped that by pulling a short ball to the boundary.
Holder showed it when he blunted a brutal short ball from Shami, dropping his wrists but keeping his eyes on it to make sure he could control where it fell. When he got to his fifty with a six against Ashwin.
It was only first time in West Indies' history that their Nos. 5 through 8 had hit half-centuries or more in the same innings. That's so rare, it's only happened five times in all of Test history.
The man who inspired it all walked away unbeaten after 88.1 overs of play.
3rd Test
Day 1
India 234/5 (90.0 ov)
West Indies
West Indies won the toss and elected to field
On a day that India made questionable selections, one of the management's moves, promotion of R Ashwin as an allrounder, rescued them from 126 for 5. In testing conditions India left out Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in favour of Rohit Sharma, to accommodate whom the batting order had to be rejigged.
While this apparent push for quick runs resulted in a batting failure, West Indies were not behind in making unusual moves. There was more purpose to their attack, after putting India in, than in the first two Tests, but when the moment arrived to look to finish the innings off, they opted for the patience route, which cut down the runs thanks to a slow outfield but the wickets came only through the batsmen's impatience. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane threw away starts with impatient shots, but Ashwin - dropped on 26 and caught off a no-ball on 35 - and Wriddhiman Saha soldiered on to keep India from imploding.
Ashwin and Saha, 46 off 122, added an unbeaten 108 for the fifth wicket. Another lower-order contribution was a continuation of a trend for India: on tough pitches in the home season, they recovered from 139 for 6 in Delhi, 125 for 6 in Nagpur, and 102 for 5 in Mohali.
The big comeback, though, was that of West Indies in the series. For the first eight days of the series they were pretty much outplayed. Moral victories and psychology can be terms abused in cricket, but the Jamaica draw might have caused damage in Indian heads that might have played a part in leaving them in tatters at tea in St Lucia. West Indies won the toss and utilised the conditions efficiently without being sensational, but India helped them out with their selections.
Having survived the Jamaica Test, West Indies mounted a fresh challenge against this unsteady Indian batting line-up - a different top three in each Test - by taking wickets when the pitch was fresh and then choking India out with disciplined bowling. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, the only specialist batsmen to reach double figures, helped India recover from 19 for 2 but fell in soft manner just before the two session breaks, Rahane to a full toss to end his slowest Test innings of 10 or more.
The second of the wickets was the highlight. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, who impressed with his pace and his bowling mechanics in only his ninth first-class match, nicked out Virat Kohli with the new ball, a promotion in the order because of the selection of Rohit. West Indies' resistance and the resultant draw in Jamaica led to three changes for India, two of them expected, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in for Amit Mishra.
The batting selections were instructive. At the toss, Kohli, who would have batted if he had won the toss anyway, emphasised that Rohit can change a match in a session. Both Vijay, who was fit after missing the Jamaica Test, and Pujara are reputed to be slower scorers. Turns out India might have misread the pitch or underestimated the attack: the situation asked for the patience of Vijay and Pujara. Moreover, Kohli and Rahane had to give up their familiar batting positions.
West Indies were more aggressive to begin with. They added Joseph to the attack, and peppered India with short deliveries at the start. The moisture in the pitch gave them spongy bounce when they pitched short, and some seam movement when they pitched it up. Shikhar Dhawan wasted little time in falling to a short ball, tickling Shannon Gabriel down the leg side.
Kohli walked in at No. 3, which was a positive sign given some of the past batsmen's reluctance to change their batting order for the team's sake. However, the fresh pitch with the new seaming ball was not suited for his style of play: soon he shaped up to cut a Joseph delivery that was neither short nor wide, nor full or close enough to him. Kohli was eventually done in by the extra bounce, but playing such deliveries you get away on pitches like the one in Antigua or against the old ball. A bit of a repeat of his England dismissals brought in India's most reliable batsman, Rahane.
It was Rahul who weathered most of the initial storm. After an ordinary start - missing five of the first 11 balls he played at - he punished every error in length. Every time West Indies overpitched, Rahul drove hard, even in the air. Short and wide deliveries were cut away. It didn't matter that in between the good ones kept beating him. On a day that the rest of the team scored 184 runs, Rahul took 50 off just 65 balls. Having done the hard work, Rahul fell 18 minutes before lunch, trying to whip a shortish delivery from Roston Chase straight to the man who had just moved to short fine leg.
West Indies came back attacking in the second session. Soon Rohit fell in typical manner, pushing defensively at a Joseph outswinger a set of stumps outside off. After that wicket, though, perhaps because the pitch had settled down, West Indies began to test India's patience. It worked: minutes before tea, Rahane, seeing release in a Chase full toss, swept down the wrong line and was bowled for 35 off 153. That didn't result in taking off the part-time spin of Kraigg Brathwaite.
The middle session produced just 43 runs for two wickets, and instead of going for the wickets of the lesser batsmen West Indies began with Jason Holder and Chase in the final session. On another day, persisiting with these tactics might have worked but West Indies made two crucial mistakes. When Ashwin left the crease in impatience, inside-edging Chase, Leon Johnson missed him at short leg. When West Indies looked to break the monotony, Gabriel bowled a short ball from round the wicket for a catch at point, it turned out he had cut the return crease with his back foot.
Other than that, Ashwin and Saha showed remarkable patience. Because of the slow outfield West Indies could have a stacked field. Chase often bowled with a six-three leg-side field, leaving point open and bowling into the pads. Any scoring was now fraught with risk, and if he dropped the ball short the slow outfield cost him just the one run. India were in no state to take risks so the two batsmen put their head down, and kept picking whatever singles or twos were on offer.
Between the fall of Rahul and the claiming of the second new ball, only 111 runs came in 61.3 overs. Against the new ball, having done the hard work, the two batsmen chanced their arms. An edge fell short here, another flew over slips there; a crisp drive was misfielded now, a bowler bowled a loose ball there, and India had 46 in the last nine overs to wrest the initiative a bit. India dropped solid batsmen for quick runs when they should have been weathering the new ball out, then they were forced to bat slowly when they should have been capitalising on the older ball and tired fielders, and finally the lesson of building long Test innings was delivered by the lower order whose first role in the team is not batting.
Day 2
India 353
West Indies 107/1 (47.0 ov)
West Indies trail by 246 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
India lost their first wickets for 126 and their last five for 14, but between the two collapses R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha added 213 runs to save their blushes. Ashwin scored his fourth century, all against West Indies and two in this series, and Saha attacked his way to a maiden Test century, which countered West Indies' plan to keep India from scoring freely on a slow outfield.
The day, though, belonged to West Indies, whose new opening combination of Leon Johnson and Kraigg Brathwaite followed the bowling charge with a stand greater than all their earlier opening partnerships in this series put together. Brathwaite ended the day unbeaten on 53, with West Indies still 246 behind, which could take some time coming on the slow outfield. After 230 runs on the first day, the second day again produced 230 for six wickets.
India's theoretical dislike of slow scoring, and some of the selections in Virat Kohli's Test team might leave you worried for the future of old-fashioned Test batsmen, but Saha and Ashwin continued to bat for the tribe after the rescue job on day one. While Ashwin, resuming on 75, gave India the solidity, it was Saha who played with intent against a limited West Indies attack happy to play the defensive game. Saha added 58 off 107 balls to his overnight 46 even as West Indies kept it tight at the other end.
The first hour of the day replicated what happened for long periods on the opening day. West Indies stacked up one side of the field, and their strike bowlers spent their energy bowling on that side of the wicket, hoping for impatient shots from the batsmen. None of that arrived.
The intent came in the second hour with Saha taking risks and Ashwin taking only what came his way, understandable given he was approaching a hundred. Saha's effort on the second morning was a repeat of his approach on the first day. Against disciplined bowling, Saha had scored 1 off the first 34 balls he faced, 8 off the first 65, and then opened up to end the day on 46 off 122. When he came back on Wednesday he scored just 6 off the first 31 balls he faced, but then drove Alzarri Joseph through cover for the first boundary of the day, in the 10th over of the morning.
After drinks the clear plan seemed for Saha to have a go and disrupt West Indies from their plan of taking time out of the game. Sixty-one came in the second hour as opposed to 21 in the first. Saha was at the forefront, hitting all of the first five boundaries of the day. The third of those, a slog off Roston Chase, the offspinner, took him to his personal best, 64. The fourth took the partnership to 150. In the 21st over of the morning, Ashwin cut away from his body and got his first boundary of the day, moving to 99.
Even as Ashwin stayed on 99, Saha raced away from 76 to 93 by the time the players went off for their second meal of the day. In the last over before lunch, though, Shannon Gabriel caught Saha on the bare forearm with a short ball. Saha came back with a swollen elbow, but both the batsmen duly reached their centuries with Saha becoming only the fourth India wicketkeeper to score an away century. In the seventh over after lunch, Saha went to drive a really full delivery from Alzarri Joseph, edging it through to Shane Dowrich.
Now the West Indies pace attack charged at the tail with renewed vigour. Having waited 281 balls for his first Test wicket, Miguel Cummins took three in 10 balls: Ravindra Jadeja following an angling delivery, and Ashwin and Ishant Sharma fending at awkward short balls. In between the Cummins carnage, Gabriel came back to get a much-deserved second wicket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught at short leg.
That the quick bowlers were making the batsmen fend pointed to some life in the pitch, but only if you banged the ball in. The India bowlers - Bhuvneshwar and Mohammed Shami with the new ball - looked to nick the batsmen out. Shami took over Cummins' poor luck; in the half hour before tea he drew an edge from Brathwaite fell short, and one from Johnson was dropped by KL Rahul at third slip. By the time Rahul made amends with a direct hit from midwicket to run Johnson out, West Indies had put together their first fifty opening in 26 innings.
For the first time in the series Darren Bravo walked out after a good start, and batted with more assurance than earlier. Brathwaite brought out the discipline he is known for, waiting for loose balls, not minding having to run runs because of the slow outfield, breaking the monotony with a chip shot here or there, spending more than three hours at the wicket for his half-century. The closest India came to a wicket was indifferent running from Bravo and Brathwaite.
Day 3
India 353
West Indies 107/1 (47.0 ov)
West Indies trail by 246 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
The St Lucia Test took a big step towards a draw with steady rain not allowing any play on the third day. The match had already gone at a slow pace on the first two days with 11 wickets falling for only 460 runs. There hadn't been any weather interruption on the first two days; the slowness was down to disciplined West Indies bowling and a slow outfield.
West Indies were 107 for 1, trailing India's 353 by 246 runs. With two days to go and an outfield slowed down further, chances of a result looked remote. India led the series 1-0 after the win in Antigua and draw in Jamaica.
The rain on the third day was so steady play was called off before tea, at 1.45pm. Forecast for day four was for early showers but a clear afternoon.
Day 4
India 353 & 157/3 (39.0 ov)
West Indies 225
India lead by 285 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Despite a rained-out day and the slow rate of scoring in the first two innings, India entertained thoughts of winning the St Lucia Test thanks to a masterful spell of swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Playing his first Test in a year and a half, Bhuvneshwar swung through the West Indies side with a spell of 11.4-6-16-5 as West Indies went from 202 for 3 to 225 all out.
With 98 overs to go in the match and a lead of 285 in the bag, India could think of declaring soon on the fifth morning. They made a good start to the endeavour, scoring 157 for 3 in the 39 overs they got on day four, a rate well higher than the 2.48 an over in the first two innings.
Bhuvneshwar, and for that matter Ravindra Jadeja, is not Virat Kohli's first choice. He prefers Umesh Yadav's pace and Amit Mishra's legspin. Post lunch on day four, with West Indies going fairly well in their quest to ensure they don't lose this Test, it was Bhuvneshwar and Jadeja who turned the match around with the second new ball.
There's a reason why Bhuvneshwar was Kohli's last resort. He bowled the entire match-changing spell without a fine leg. No fine leg, no long leg, no backward square leg. No man behind square on the leg side. Kohli prefers his wickets with batsmen fending at express quicks. It was a sign that the young captain is not stubborn in that he first selected Bhuvneshwar and then gave him the field that works with his bowling. Bhuvneshwar was about to show him the other way of taking wickets.
Kohli had taken the new ball as soon as it became available just before lunch despite the struggles of Jermaine Blackwood and Marlon Samuels against the turning old ball. It was a session in which an India bowler took a wicket for the first time in 528 legal deliveries. If the last wicket off a bowler shouldn't have been given out - Shane Dowrich on the last day in Jamaica - the legality of this 528th delivery was in doubt. It was an Ishant Sharma bouncer that Darren Bravo top-edged after taking his eyes off, but Ishant didn't quite seem to have a part of his foot behind the crease. It wasn't an obvious no-ball, though, and after multiple replays the third umpire ruled in favour of the bowler, perhaps acting on the new ICC directive to grant the benefit of doubt to the bowler.
Kraigg Brathwaite on...
West Indies' day-five approach: "They have a decent lead. So obviously we have to see what they do tomorrow in terms of declaration. We think the pitch is still a good one and in terms of the time we have the key is to assess it as a batting group and decide whether to go for the win or the draw. We will see when the declaration comes, what we will go for."
On Darren Bravo's dismissal: "You know the umpires have a job to do. The players can't get into that."
R Ashwin went on to get the other overnight batsman, Kraigg Brathwaite, and the two spinners had Samuels and Blackwood uncomfortable. Kohli took the new ball and handed it over to Bhuvneshwar. The batsmen had added 59 before lunch, they can both punish errors in line, but through the spell Bhuvneshwar conceded only two shots to fine leg. Blackwood was the first one to go, having faced 15 straight dots from Bhuvneshwar, who bowled a length fuller than he did with the first new ball. The 16th was an outswinger that Blackwood, who loves bat on ball, couldn't resist. Kohli took one of the more predictable edges at second slip.
It took less persistence to set Samuels, 48, up. With Blackwood facing the Bhuvneshwar swing almost exclusively, it was only during the 10th over with the new ball that Samuels was presented to Bhuvneshwar. This time Bhuvneshwar was in no mood for slow cooking. Four outswingers later, he went wide on the crease, slipped in an inswinger, and Samuels, surprised by it all, played on.
Kohli brought Jadeja on at the other end, and he kept creating trouble with the ones that went straight on. The one that turned, though, got the man who had denied India in Jamaica, Roston Chase. Bhuvneshwar's masterclass continued at the other end. Jason Holder was caught on the back foot by one that angled in, and Alzarri Joseph followed a straight ball outside off.
With a remarkable five-for in sight, Bhuvneshwar's persistence was thoroughly tested by his fielders. There were signs he was tiring - the second ball of the 10th over was short and pulled for four, reducing the spell analysis to 9.2-6-11-4 - but he still produced the edge from Shane Dowrich. KL Rahul dropped his second chance of the match at third slip, but it took the third umpire to ascertain it that he had grassed it. In his next over, Bhuvneshwar was offered what should have been his through an ill-advised pull from Dowrich. Rohit Sharma, though, dropped a relatively easy catch at midwicket; he suggested he had lost the ball in the sun. Later in that over Bhuvneshwar was denied a pretty straightforward lbw by the umpire; Miguel Cummins was the beneficiary this time.
A change in bowling at the other end worked. R Ashwin ended this frustrating 6.5-over partnership, and Bhuvneshwar bowled another over to complete his third Test five-for. This was one of his least impressive wickets; in this over he had even conceded a boundary to fine leg. Two balls later Dowrich saw one short and wide, edged the cut, and this time Shikhar Dhawan nearly dropped it at first slip. Dhawan took the rebound, drawing hardly a reaction from Bhuvneshwar.
India had wasted about 40 minutes through some ordinary fielding, but the first culprit, Rahul, went about making up for that time in earnest. His 28 off 24 gave India a run rate of higher than six, but with the subsequent fall of Kohli and Dhawan meant Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma had to be cautious at the start of their partnership. They scored only 16 in the first nine overs of their stand as West Indies made no bones about trying to slow India down through containment and not wickets. Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite bowled 19 overs between them after the pace bowlers had travelled.
Rahane and Rohit made up for the slow start, ending the day with 51 off 93 and 41 off 57, but the time wasted through dropped catches and the mid-innings slowdown could just end up costing India a five-six over burst with the second new ball on day five.
Day 5
India 353 & 217/7d
West Indies 225 & 108 (47.3 ov)
India won by 237 runs
On Thursday, the third day of the St Lucia Test, India saw rain wash a whole day's play out, with runs having been scored at about 2.5 an over on the first two days, with the bowlers' last memory of having taken a wicket 79.2 overs ago. By the end of the play on Saturday, the fifth day, India had taken 17 wickets in 63.5 overs to complete an incredible Test and series win, a win borne as much out of belief and intent as out of West Indies' lack of resistance after what hopefully wasn't a false down in Jamaica.
India began day four believing they could still win; West Indies did nothing to make India doubt it. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's swing masterclass left India 285 in lead at the end of the fourth day, India quickly ran away to 60 runs in nine overs to leave West Indies with no chance of winning and 87 overs to survive. That was a big difference between Jamaica and St Lucia: there one counterattack put them within sight of parity and gave them direction, here they didn't know where to go. Feet stopped moving, brains got muddled, plans went absent, and India stayed relentless. The victory, the first time India won two Tests in a series outside Asia since 2005 and the first time ever in the West Indies, arrived before tea.
The gulf in the class and awareness between the teams was glaring on the fifth day. It began with awareness and intent. India knew the outfield was slow, they knew they were short on time, so they came out running runs as if in street cricket. Tip and run, runs to slip, second runs with the ball in the fielder's hand, thirds because of panicked throws and poor backing up, India almost literally stole these runs from under West Indies' noses. A six-wicket haul for Miguel Cummins as the batsmen went after the bowling was the only silver running on a dark day for West Indies cricket. Ajinya Rahane, not surprisingly, top-scored with an unbeaten 78.
Then came the question of class. West Indies still had only 87 overs to survive on a pretty reliable surface. Except that the batting was not reliable. Coming into this innings having lost their last seven first-innings wickets in 16.2 overs, West Indies needed a solid start. It wasn't to be. On a new-ball pitch, the India quicks were soon going to be all over them. This was going to call for gumption, especially if West Indies lost a wicket early on. Which they duly did, with new opener Leon Johnson fending Mohammed Shami to short leg.
Bhuvneshwar, who had cracked the game open with a quick five-for on day four, then had Kraigg Brathwaite - not the only West Indies batsman who prefers to stay back - with a really full delivery. The inswinger held its line a little, Brathwaite played across its line and was caught dead plumb. With openers gone in the fifth over, there was extra responsibility on the most experienced West Indies batsmen, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo. Samuels couldn't have played a more irresponsible innings.
Samuels went from fasting to sugar rush betraying no sense of plan or direction to his batting. He faced the first 12 balls of his innings responsibly, avoiding the short-pitch barrage nicely. With no run to his name, and no intent to score any until then, out of nowhere he looked for a lofted off drive to the 13th ball he faced. Having survived that rush of blood, having scored his first run off the 21st ball he faced, Samuels got two half-volleys from R Ashwin, boundaries off which should have settled down nerves.
Samuels, though, went on a hitting spree. He was lucky he mistimed his next big shot, an attempted loft with a long-on in place. This one fell short, but Samuels, having been dormant for the first half of the innings, struggled to calm himself down. The feet didn't move, the bat went high, an inswinger from Ishant Sharma burst through the gate and sent the off stump on a cartwheel.
Three wickets had been lost in 13.2 overs, but Roston Chase and Bravo batted more sensibly and saw West Indies through to lunch. Post lunch Ishant produced the delivery of the innings to remove the centurion from Jamaica, Chase. India had got their act together for Chase, bowling fuller than they did in Jamaica, giving him less time to recover should there be any misbehaviour off the pitch. This one misbehaved massively, seaming back in from a full length to take the off stump out.
Jermaine Blackwood's attacking ways were less likely to work here; India had anyway cut off his runs by not bowling in his zone. A frustrated big drive - trying to save a Test with parity nowhere in sight - brought an on-the-line stumping, and half the side was gone even before the ball became old and settled down.
After about the 30th over, the pitch settled down a little. The edges began to die, as R Ashwin found out with Bravo who reached his first fifty in eight innings. The seam movement ceased. A main batsman would have found this period easier to negotiate, but Shane Dowrich fell to a disciplined spell from Shami, who followed on from a seven-over interrogation by Bhuvneshwar. Jason Holder ran himself out, and with the tail in the middle it was just a consolation that West Indies managed to cross 100 and didn't succumb to their lowest total against India.
4th Test
Day 1
West Indies 62/2
India
India's hopes of retaining the No. 1 Test ranking going into the home season suffered a setback as only 22 overs were possible on the first day in wet Port of Spain. Forecast for the second day wasn't great either, and the facilities at the ground came under scrutiny too. The first day's play began half an hour late despite no rain since the evening before the Test, and it was called off as early as 2pm. There is no super sopper at Queen's Park Oval.
Any team will be a tad disappointed with losing two wickets in the first session after choosing to bat on a slow track, but such has been the state of the West Indies batting that they might take this, with the rain being the bonus. Only once in the series have they lost their third wicket after reaching three figures. Kraigg Brathwaite, who has shown the willingness to buckle down, did that job, but he will be disappointed they lost two wickets especially after he and Leon Johnson had seen off the first spells of the opening bowlers.
West Indies will be all the more disappointed because the pitch was really slow after having spent a lot of time under covers because of rain leading up to the Test. It had left the outfield wet enough to delay the start of the Test by half an hour. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had cracked open the last Test for India, wasted little time, though, in creating opportunities. In his first four overs, he hit the outside edge of Brathwaite's bat four times: twice the ball fell short, once it travelled in the gap in the slip cordon, and once Virat Kohli dropped it at second slip, seeming to suggest he expected third slip KL Rahul to go for it.
That wasn't the first disfavour he had done his bowlers: he had decided to play just the four bowlers so that both Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma could be included. Also he dropped Shikhar Dhawan for M Vijay after an uncertain batting line-up had been reduced to 126 for 5 in the previous Test.
After seeing off Bhuvneshwar and Mohammed Shami for a partnership of 31 runs, Johnson fell to the first ball bowled by Ishant Sharma. This was his second straight dismissal to short leg, and again straight off the bat. Ishant got it just high enough into the ribs, but Johnson could have left it alone.
The second wicket didn't take so much co-operation from the batsman. After Darren Bravo had picked R Ashwin for a two and a four at his home ground, the next ball was just a bit shorter, creating the distance between the pitch of the ball and the bat. Then it had enough time to turn from middle and leg and past the outside edge to hit the top of off stump. That in the first session of a Test is excellent for a spinner.
Brathwaite, though, remained solid and in partnership with Marlon Samuels took West Indies to within 15 minutes of lunch when rain brought them early relief. As it turned out steady rain for the next hour or so was all it took for the day's play to be called off.
Day 2
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
From the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen's Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled despite the sun beating down on the ground till 2pm.
The umpires came out for inspection after inspection after inspection, but didn't find the outfield to be fit for play. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff nor was the whole ground covered when it rained. The eventual downpour at 2.15pm, 15 minutes before yet another inspection, accounted for any remaining hopes.
With only 22 overs possible on the first two days, with forecast not great for the rest of the Test and given the facilities available at Queen's Park Oval, only an unbelievable three days could produce a result. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.
Day 3
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
Surreal scenes of an outfield being dug up during a Test match were not enough to dry Queen's Park Oval enough for any cricket on day three. For the second day in a row, not a single ball was bowled despite there being bright sunshine in the first half of the day. The ground staff dug up parts of the outfield to perhaps try to aerate it, but more rain around noon frustrated everyone further. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff.
With only 22 overs possible on the first two days and given the facilities available at Queen's Park Oval, a result was extremely unlikely. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.
Day 4
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
All efforts to get the Queen's Park Oval ready for play were given up in the very first hour of the fourth day. At around 10.25am, the fourth day was called off.
Since the early morning on day two of the Test, there had been barely an hour of rain, but the outfield was in such a bad state that not a ball was bowled for three days. The ground was not fully covered, it didn't have a super sopper, and Test cricket went through another surreal day of no action.
With the Test certain to end as a draw, Pakistan were all set to become the new No. 1 Test team; India needed to win this Test to retain their top spot.
Day 5
West Indies 62/2 (22.0 ov)
India
Match drawn
The farce in Port of Spain ended in bright sunshine with no play possible, just like the earlier three days. Called off at 9.30am on the fifth day, this was the third-shortest non-abandoned Test ever.
This was the first Test played in August in Trinidad, which is the rainy season. The outfield had taken a lot of beating in the days leading up to the Test, but the ground staff was economical with covering the ground when it rained, leaving the bowlers' run-up exposed. There was no super sopper available either. As a result the field didn't recover from the rain on day one, and only 22 overs - all in the first session of the Test - were bowled.
The draw meant India lost their No. 1 ranking to Pakistan one week after they had gained it thanks to the whitewash of Australia in Sri Lanka. They still won the series 2-0, the first time they won two Tests in a series in the West Indies.
West Indies
India won the toss and elected to bat (Stumps)
Day 1 report: In the lead-up to this series, India's captain Virat Kohli arranged a meeting with Viv Richards, to take his blessings, in the words of Richards. On the first day of the series, at a ground named after Richards, Kohli, a batsman who has been compared with Richards by more than a few, showed all the intent that was a hallmark of Richards. He picked five bowlers, going for specialists ahead of those who can bat; he went with Shikhar Dhawan, who brings the possibility of quicker runs than KL Rahul; and he chose to bat first when the first session on this pitch was the only one expected to offer bowlers any assistance on the first three days.
Most importantly, with India in a spot of bother at 74 for 2 and struggling to score freely, Kohli batted with similar intent, albeit against a limited attack that must have been close to tiring out, and scored an unbeaten 143, his 12th Test century and his first against West Indies, to put India in a position from where they could look to dominate, a goal they seemed to have set themselves at the start of the series. To make it better for Kohli, his selection of Dhawan played off. Some considered him lucky to be playing in this Test, he enjoyed some luck against testing bowling at the start of the innings, but Dhawan helped India keep a disciplined West Indies attack at bay with his first half-century in eight innings. The two added 105 in 27.1 overs; the previous 74 runs had taken 27.4 overs.
India would have expected to work hard for their runs when they chose to bat on a slow pitch surrounded by a slow outfield in St John's, but hands in front of helmets as protective action wouldn't have been on the agenda. In their first Test under new bowling coach Roddy Estwick, the West Indies attack, thin on numbers but displaying tenacity, tested the Indian top order in the first session of the series. Shannon Gabriel, making a Test comeback after a good comeback in the ODI triangular series earlier in the season, rattled the openers with his pace, accounting for M Vijay with a lovely bouncer, but Dhawan was prepared to weather the storm before capitalising on the second string, an older ball and falling intensity.
The play began along expected lines. As against India's intent, West Indies took the safer route given their limited resources, playing the extra batsman, debutant Roston Chase, going in with Jason Holder as the third bowler, who on many sheets is marked as an allrounder. India were expected to look for runs, and relatively quick runs, while West Indies were expected to frustrate India. On the field, it was going to be a test of execution and endurance for West Indies.
The execution was near perfect before lunch. In his first spell of 4-2-6-1, Gabriel roughed up both Dhawan and Vijay. Dhawan had the worse of exchanges, top-edging Holder before fending hopelessly four times in a row against Gabriel. Vijay edged the second bouncer he faced for Kraigg Brathwaite to juggle a catch at second slip. Holder - first spell of 5-2-10-0 - played his part in making Gabriel effective, and Carlos Brathwaite followed it up with a spell of six overs for six runs.
Dhawan might have had the problem against the short ball, but his discipline outside off and his will to make the bowlers get his wicket stood out. He refused to fall for the sucker delivery after the short ones, shelving his cover drive - playing only seven of them - and indulging only in the late cut off Chase, who had begun to get in cheap overs of part-time offspin in the first session of this Test. Unlike Cheteshwar Pujara, who got stuck and fell for 16 off 67 after a 60-run second-wicket partnership, Dhawan kept finding a way to score. If it was the late cut at start - 14 runs off five attempts - he began to use his feet towards the end of the first session. He went into lunch with 29 off the last 26 balls, and would come back to get himself in before opening up again.
Pujara, though, fell immediately after lunch, getting a leading edge off a short legbreak from the returning Devendra Bishoo. The wicket changed the complexion of the day's play. With Kohli came out intent to score runs. This flat and slow pitch didn't call for a watertight technique, so Kohli could take a few liberties on that front, but his attitude to look to score first before falling back on other options exposed the limited West Indies attack.
Until now, West Indies had kept India quiet by bowling well outside off, but Kohli began driving at them, a shot that this early in the innings can be dangerous in some conditions, but not here. There was no seam, no unfriendly bounce, and the ball was too old to swing. As if a sign of how the West Indies concentration was now being tested, Kohli's first boundary came through a misfield, from Marlon Samuels.
Floodgates opened then. Dhawan found more authority in his cuts. He upper-cut Gabriel for a six, swept Bishoo, stopped missing chances for singles; Kohli kept driving imperiously. In the 34th over, the run rate reached three for the first time since the third over. The two kept picking ones and twos effortlessly. At one point Kohli pinched a single to Gabriel at mid-off, and told his partner, "He is very tired." Before you realised, Kohli had followed Dhawan to a half-century, bringing it up off the 75th ball he faced. Bishoo, though, came back just before tea to trap Dhawan plumb on the sweep.
Kohli came back to bring up what had looked like an inevitable century. He added 57 with an enterprising Ajinkya Rahane, who like Pujara, saw a short legbreak, shaped up to pull but didn't manage to adjust as the ball stopped and bounced at him. In another sign of intent, India had R Ashwin batting at No. 6, ahead of Wriddhiman Saha. West Indies continued with their conservative approach, happy to slow India down, not taking the new ball and getting in some quiet overs before stumps as Kohli and Ashwin added an unbeaten
Only once was there an alarm during his innings. After a mini quiet period, Kohli drove at a wide Brathwaite delivery. The edge flew wide of gully. On this pitch, such a drive to prevent the bowlers from bowling quiet overs wide outside off was a risk worth taking. As was playing five bowlers. Kohli was prepared to take both.
Day 2
India 566/8d
West Indies 31/1
West Indies trail by 535 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Virat Kohli continued his efficient and energetic accumulation of runs to bring up his maiden first-class double hundred, setting up India's declaration on 566, their joint fourth-highest score against West Indies. Promoted to No. 6, R Ashwin enjoyed some luck in the first hour of the day before strolling to his third hundred against West Indies, taking his average against them to 64.67. Given 16 overs before stumps, the Indian bowlers tried desperately for a breakthrough, and succeeded less than 10 minutes before the end of play.
That India could entertain a declaration with more than an hour to stumps was down to Kohli's scoring rate. He went at 4.2 an over; before Amit Mishra and the tail began to swing their bats pushing for declaration, the rest of the side had managed 275 runs in over 96 overs. Kohli's intent - helped no doubt by a flat pitch and tiring bowlers - foiled West Indies' plan pretty much from ball one: bowl defensively and ensure your stacked-up batting line-up has less time to survive. Apart from Shannon Gabriel, no bowler - there was only one more specialist in the side - actively looked for wickets, relying on frustrating batsmen. However, captain Kohli, India's first to score an away double, took risks and made the bowlers bowl to him because he was driving the wide ones too.
Gabriel, though, should have had his second wicket early on the second day. West Indies' wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich had waited for 423 overs over three Tests for his first opportunity at a dismissal. When Gabriel produced the outside edge from Ashwin, his eagerness to celebrate led to a sitter being grassed. Ashwin was 43 then. West Indies still managed to keep Ashwin quiet - at one point he went 40 balls for four runs - but Kohli, who resumed the day on 143 not out, kept finding a way around the defensive lines.
As was the case on day one, Gabriel bowled a short burst with the new ball, and Carlos Brathwaite followed up with a spell that tested the batsmen's patience by bowling a set of stumps outside off. The tactic had kept India's top order quiet in the first session of the match, but Kohli didn't wait for too long before taking a calculated risk, executing it so well it didn't look like a risk. Kohli has his own way of choosing what balls to drive. Each delivery of Brathwaite's first three overs was bowled to Kohli, who attempted to score off only one, the widest of the lot. It wasn't a half-volley either, but Kohli drove superbly on the up, and got a boundary to break any pressure the joining of dots creates.
Cover driving, as usual, remained the feature of Kohli's innings. When he gave the treatment to Devendra Bishoo in the 105th over, the boundary took him past his previous best of 169; it was his 50th run through the covers. A sign of how well he batted came when, in the 113th over, he played perhaps the only ungainly shot of his innings, a half-sweep across the line to deep midwicket. Turned out he had picked the rare wrong'un from Bishoo, and was actually playing with the spin.
No Test double is easy, but in the last over before lunch, Kohli strolled to one of the more inevitable ones with an easy single off a short offbreak. Kohli hadn't really played the punch off the back foot on this slow track, but perhaps now looking for even quicker runs he tried that after lunch, playing Gabriel on to the stumps. Cease fire followed. West Indies went back to bowling defensively with defensive fields, now with spinners on at both ends, which helped improve their over rate. Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha didn't look too fussed in a 69-run partnership in 24.4 overs.
Slow pitch, fielders in front, no pace to work with, and West Indies finally had a quiet half session. Ashwin didn't look in any hurry, Saha tried to break the monotony, succeeding on a couple of occasions before getting stumped. Dowrich finally had a maiden Test dismissal. Overall, though, West Indies refused to attack, which could also give India scoring opportunities, and India didn't seem overly bothered with the slow going.
Seven minutes before tea, with a back-foot punch through midwicket, Ashwin brought up his hundred, reminding you of the shot of the day, a back-foot punch through mid-on for four. Amit Mishra's enterprise at the other end, his fourth half-century, off only 68 balls, gave India the push they needed. Tired minds and bodies dropped three catches; time seemed right for declaration.
In the overs that followed, Kohli tried a lot of attacking combinations: three slips and a gully, an extra gully and really full outswingers, short leg and backward short leg for short bowling, and his trump card R Ashwin. Rajesh Chandrika, who had earlier gloved an Ishant Sharma bouncer over the keeper, finally succumbed in the 15th over, edging Shami through to the keeper.
Day 3 West Indies 243 & 21/1 (F/O) trail India 566 for 8 dec by 303 runs
Mohammed Shami bowled through the 2015 World Cup with a busted knee. By the end of it, he needed a surgery, lost out on the IPL earnings and missed more than a year of international cricket. The BCCI compensated him for the loss of IPL money, a first such recorded instance. Once he was fit, Shami walked into the Test XI in Antigua, and showed why he might be a man worth looking after.
On a slow pitch where it looked difficult to dismiss batsmen who didn't play shots, Shami bowled with menace to take four wickets after which Umesh Yadav chipped in with a four-for of his own to make West Indies follow on 323 runs behind. In the follow-on, the other quick, Ishant Sharma got rid of Kraigg Brathwaite, a man known for quiet defiance who denied India for 218 balls in the first innings, in the first over.
The time away from the game was well spent from the looks on it. In his last Test series, Shami was guilty of offering runs on the pads too often as he bowled for longer. The coaches identified long strides in his run-up as the problem, a result of too much bowling in his first year of international cricket. Shami came back with shorter strides, stayed at the batsmen for longer, provided fewer freebies, and took out the heart of the West Indies batting when it looked difficult to prise wickets out. A word of caution, though: West Indies, not the best going around, contributed to their dismissals.
Brathwaite didn't. From the time he and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo frustrated India for 16 overs, it was clear the bowlers would have to work hard. Patience, the buzzword leading into the series, was tested. A measure of the difficulty in taking 20 wickets was how both wickets in the first session came through injudicious shots. It was a period when West Indies didn't look for runs, which made it difficult for wickets to come.
The resistance was led by Brathwaite, who rode his luck a little at the start of the day's play. When he was attacked with a forward and backward short leg, he failed to keep the balls angled into his ribs down on at least three occasions, but managed to avoid the fielders. His partner Bishoo's outside edge was beaten at least seven times. It would have frustrated India all the more that Bishoo faced only 15 balls in the first eight overs of the morning.
The early jitters out of the way, Brathwaite dug in for the kind of innings he is known for. Bowling outside off to him, if not a long half-volley, was a waste of energy. At the other end, though, India began to make inroads. Amit Mishra, introduced ahead of R Ashwin, provided the first breakthrough when Bishoo played an impatient sweep shot and dragged his foot over to be stumped. Just before lunch, Kohli sensed an opportunity and went back to Shami, who had been desperately unlucky in his first spell of 6-1-16-0.
Shami glided in and remained threatening even if the batsmen were patient. Darren Bravo wasn't even patient. This was the time India were getting restless, but he calmed them down by flirting with a wide delivery five minutes before lunch. The ball did bounce more than expected to take the edge, but Bravo had played with an angled bat with his feet stuck on the leg stump.
On the way back for lunch, Kohli was heard telling his bowlers, "This is the reward for patience." More reward was to follow in the second session. Marlon Samuels, who might be playing his last Test series, is not a proactive batsman. He likes top sit back on the back foot, and lets bowlers bowl where they want. Shami did so soon enough, in the fifth over after lunch. He bowled an in-between length, which dragged Samuels forward even though his weight was back. The ball held its line to take the edge. An aggressive short ball took the shoulder of Jermaine Blackwood's bat to end a double-wicket maiden. This was the first dismissal that didn't include Wriddhiman Saha.
From 92 for 5, Brathwaite and debutant Roston Chase resisted for more than 16 overs. They were undone by a man often guilty of not using the crease and also offering freebies on the pads, Yadav. While he did offer freebies here too, especially in the first session, he showed a clear intent of using different angles to make the batsmen play at balls they would otherwise leave. The reward came unconventionally.
Chase pulled an inviting short ball straight down the lap of short midwicket followed by a brute to Brathwaite, who on 74 didn't look like he was going to make a mistake. Yadav went wide on the crease, angled a bouncer in, got Brathwaite to throw his gloves in front of his face.
Playing his first Test as a specialist wicketkeeper, Shane Dowrich scored his second Test half-century, an unbeaten 57, to hold India off in the final session of the day, but didn't cause enough damage to prevent a follow-on. Yadav took out Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite in successive balls to seemingly end the frustrating experience with the tail. Holder edged a wide outswinger to give Saha an India record-equalling sixth dismissal, and Brathwaite pre-meditated a leave to be bowled. Dowrich, though, annoyed India a little more in partnership with No. 11 Shannon Gabriel, who lasted two balls once the legspin of Mishra was introduced.
With only 90.2 overs bowled in the first innings, with a possible 13 overs to go before a full night's rest and with five bowlers in his side, Kohli enforced the first follow-on for India since late 2012 against England in Ahmedabad. Ishant Sharma provided instant pay-off with an inswinger that trapped Brathwaite in front, but Bravo and Rajendra Chandrika prevented further damage.
Day 4
India 566/8d
West Indies 243 & 231 (f/o)
India won by an innings and 92 runs
It took more than four sessions coming, but once R Ashwin found his rhythm he ran through the West Indies batting to seal India's first innings win in the West Indies. Just after lunch on day four, with India needing eight wickets to finish the match, Ashwin found the dip and drift and cut out on the loose balls to earn himself a five-for and a hundred in the same Test for a second time, more than any Indian. West Indies, as in the first innings, couldn't offer much resistance, and folded up in 78 overs, 12.2 fewer than the first time around.
Before Ashwin struck, Marlon Samuels and Rajendra Chandrika had managed to hold India up for 22 overs, which did frustrate India a little, not entirely of its own volition. After Umesh Yadav had removed Darren Bravo in the first over of the morning - a repeat feeble push to a wide delivery from the first innings - an umpiring decision got India's goat. In his first over of the morning, Mohammed Shami hit Samuels' glove and offered a low chance to Wriddhiman Saha's left, which the wicketkeeper claimed immediately.
Coach Anil Kumble, watching from the balcony, lifted his finger after the first replay. However, the replays - understandably not enough angles or quality for financial reasons - didn't return a verdict beyond reasonable doubt nor was there a soft signal made by the on-field umpires. So the benefit of the doubt went to Samuels. His bat obscured the front-on replay somewhat, and there was nothing else to go by. No zoomer was used. The third umpire erred on the side of caution.
Virat Kohli wasn't amused. He was seen in an animated conversation with Ian Gould, with whom he wasn't too happy on day two either when the latter's conversation on a walkie-talkie denied India an extra over before stumps. Kumble didn't look impressed either. Soon rain arrived, 40 minutes before lunch, and several players walked straight to a laptop and sat huddled around it, watching it from different angles.
Thankfully calm presided with Chandrika defending sedately and Samuels hitting smoothly. In a glimpses of what makes him a frustrating Test batsman to watch - a superb stroke maker but an average under 35 - Samuels drove and cut gorgeously to take 23 off the next 19 balls. India lost 15 minutes because of the rain, but after the early lunch break it was all Ashwin.
When he came back from the break, Ashwin had bowled 22 overs in the match, and was the only wicketless Indian bowler. He had bowled one in the mini session before stumps on day two, but kept getting cut on day three. On a pitch not offering much turn, against batsmen who were happy to sit back, Ashwin was being made to work hard. Post lunch, though, he finally put together a spell. In his first over after the break, Ashwin beat Samuels in the flight, with the ball dipping and hitting him on the pad. The next ball didn't turn as much, and took a soft outside edge for two runs. The next over was probing too, and included a leading edge. You could sense Ashwin was building something up now.
Ashwin didn't have to wait too long. Two probing overs later, he had Chandrika believing he was driving at a half-volley, but the dip created distance, and Saha juggled a low catch off the batsman's pad. Replays weren't conclusive vis-Ã -vis the inside edge, but Chandrika didn't protest at all. Next up was Jermaine Blackwood, for a pair. Once again, Ashwin created the distance with drift and dip, and the offbreak was driven to short midwicket.
A wicketless Ashwin over later, Samuels became the victim of drift. As it is, Samuels likes staying beside the line, but this one drifted away, and then didn't turn as much as he expected, hitting the top of off stump. The ball kept dipping on the inexperienced batsmen, who were arguably facing this quality of spin bowling for the first time, and debutant Rolston Chase soon fell to forward short leg because his intended block didn't reach the pitch of the ball.
Amit Mishra broke the Ashwin streak with a topspinner that trapped Shane Dowrich, but Ashwin finished his first five-for outside Asia with another beauty. Jason Holder thought he could drive at this seemingly full offbreak, but the ball drifted away to create the bat-pad gap, and turned through it to hit the leg stump. Ashwin had now taken five wickets in 51 balls.
It seemed it would be a matter of time now, but India got fancy with bowling changes, and Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo made India wait 24.1 overs for their ninth wicket. Forced to take the tea break, Ashwin came back to end the match with the wickets of Bishoo and Shannon Gabriel in one over.
2nd Test
Day 1
West Indies 196
India 126/1 (37.0 ov)
India trail by 70 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Batting isn't easy at Sabina Park. In 20 years, no ground has been quite as stingy in giving up Test match runs. Ask the local boy Marlon Samuels, who had to wait nearly 10 overs to get off the mark. Or the five Indian bowlers, who excelled after they were gifted first use of a pitch with live grass and considerable moisture. West Indies chose to bat and crumbled to 196 all out. Side note, R Ashwin secured his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests.
Batting is not impossible at Sabina Park. It is the venue that gave cricket the number 365, with a little help from Sir Garry Sobers. It was where Brian Lara proved he wasn't just the Prince of Trinidad but King of the World. West Indies do not have players of that calibre willing to play Tests at the moment, but with a little more conviction, they could have been batting when the conditions were at their best for it. Instead, they were all out in 51.3 overs and the final-session bounty went to KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on a brisk 75 off 114 balls. A fine knock from India's back-up opener, marking his return to Test cricket after nearly a year.
The West Indian quicks pitched too full or too short or too wide. Their legspinner Devendra Bishoo began with three long hops. If there was a plan, its last step possibly read "execute at your own peril". It didn't help that when they did fool the batsman, luck wasn't with them. Dhawan drove lazily outside off stump, twice, but neither carried to the fielders. Rahul, anxious to get the four runs he needed for a fifty, hit offspinner Roston Chase against the turn and was dropped by Darren Bravo at short midwicket. That both batsmen felt no need to temper themselves was perhaps an indication of what they thought of the opposition's ability to pose a threat even on a helpful pitch.
Virat Kohli had said it had been "damp" at the toss. The ball swung and seamed. It came to the batsman at a pace he couldn't trust; it bounced inappropriately. All of that was the result of the moisture not entirely out of place in the first session of a Test match, especially at a ground where batsmen have only averaged 25-odd since 1996.
Batsmen had to stow the drive away in such conditions, but Ashwin, Ishant and Shami constantly put the ball at a fullish length on middle and off stump. Kohli had an even spread of close catchers - three for the outside edge and three for the inside edge. And West Indies were asked to play shots they knew could get them out.
So Jermaine Blackwood began by leaving his second ball; it only barely bounced over off stump. Later, he lunged forward to defend Ashwin, but couldn't reach it on the half-volley and was struck on the chest. Samuels was tempted into driving on the up by Ishant on 0, and was nearly done in when the ball leapt up at him. Shane Dowrich was caught behind trying to leave the ball. It seemed like West Indies were in a dark, cramped tunnel and even the light at the end of it was India celebrating around a bonfire.
Ashwin was having fun once more. While his first wicket may have come in fortunate circumstances - an lbw against Blackwood shown by HawkEye to only graze the outside of leg stump - the next one exemplified the confidence he has in himself. Samuels had just torched a six straight down the ground. He was invited to do so again, this one tossed up even higher. When the ball was halfway down its path, however, Samuels realised he would never get close enough to its pitch. Ashwin's dip had taken care of that. A hastily executed flick resulted in an inside edge that was safely caught at short leg. Ashwin had Dowrich caught behind, while Holder and Bishoo were beaten in flight; the five-for was rather academic.
India had to grit their teeth through a few stages: the 62 balls that Blackwood batted for his half-century, the two balls that Bishoo nicked to the keeper and was not given by umpire Ian Gould, the 38 balls that debutant Miguel Cummins - playing in place of Carlos Brathwaite - and Shannon Gabriel swung around for, and the one that consumed Shikhar Dhawan to give Chase his first Test wicket with less than an hour to stumps.
Everything else, however, went their way. Kraigg Brathwaite, stout of defence and temperament, fell to a simple trap. Two men were put under helmets at forward and backward short leg. Ishant bowled a short ball angled towards the batsman's ribs - predictable considering the field placing - and Brathwaite promptly fended to Pujara in front of square.
Darren Bravo fell to a simple trap too, but through no fault of his own. Ishant went around the stumps to make sure the left-hander would feel he has to play more than he could leave. India were aiming at his weakness outside off stump, with a bowler known for straightening the ball off the pitch. Ishant pitched it full on fifth stump, drew Bravo into a block, claimed the edge that was caught by second slip. Shami had Rajendra Chandrika nicking off to gully.
Blackwood walked out with the score at 7 for 3. West Indies hadn't seen such dire times against India since the Port-of-Spain Test in 1983. Blackwood was in the middle of dire times himself, having bagged a second pair in five Tests, and was a prime candidate to be dropped to accommodate an extra bowler. The selectors kept faith in him, however, and his counter-attacking half-century was the only high point for West Indies.
Day 2
West Indies 196
India 358/5 (125.0 ov)
India lead by 162 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Flawless innings are fairly rare in Test cricket. After all, the bowler gets to dictate some of the terms too. KL Rahul listened to them patiently, respected them when they made good points but did not cede his upper hand. His career-best 158 thrust India into the lead.
At the other end was Cheteshwar Pujara, who spent a full hour running away from making runs. He was 18 off 57 overnight and stayed on 18 until he faced his 92nd ball of the match. Much was made of his run-out after lunch. Facing 159 balls and being dismissed in that fashion evokes critique but there were mitigating circumstances.
Runs and records awaited anyone willing to show a little application on this Sabina Park pitch. But like a grandparent doting on their favourite grandkid in the middle of a party, it did embarrass them on the odd occasion. Notably, when Pujara nudged a short delivery from Jason Holder into the leg side. He meant for it to go a lot finer, but the ball had come onto the bat slower than expected and went off it in the same way, allowing Roston Chase, who was in front of square, to cut across and throw the stumps down. Pujara, who was face-down on the ground at the non-strikers' end, knew all his hard work had come undone by one dreadful mistake.
Meanwhile, Rahul kept cruising. He had driven extremely well and by now wasn't afraid to extend the arms and hit over the top. A good IPL - whether it makes one ready for international cricket or not - certainly does wonders to his confidence. Rahul had outshone Chris Gayle in the last season and his attacking game was on point in Kingston.
West Indies, it seemed, were at the other end. There was no ambition. They did not take the new ball when it was available and instead fed a new batsman with spin. Considering that new batsman was Virat Kohli, who is susceptible to the seamers outside the off stump, it was quite baffling. With very little resistance, a ninth - out of 12 - Indian partnership crossed 50 in this series.
Things changed after tea. West Indies took the new ball and put it in Shannon Gabriel's hands. With him coming back from an ankle injury, it seemed like his team was perennially juggling chances of victory with those of him going out of commission again. Hamstring trouble for Miguel Cummins complicated matters further; the debutant was the only one to consistently aim at the stumps. Ask Pujara, who was beaten on the inside edge, outside edge and rapped on his top hand.
Gabriel had had nine overs' downtime when the new ball had become available, but the additional respite seemed to have helped since he took out Rahul and troubled Kohli too. The India captain had been perturbed by outswingers - 8 off 33 at one point - and while his guard was up for that, he couldn't prevent an inswinger thudding into the pads. Height saved him in umpire Aleem Dar's judgment.
West Indies got Kohli and R Ashwin in the final hour of play but Ajinkya Rahane took the lead past 150.
Things were better in the morning. There weren't many runs scored - 59 in 26 overs; there weren't many fans around - sad for a Sunday; there were no wickets but there was a contest.
With clear skies welcoming the players on the second day, the likelihood of the ball seaming about had reduced. It was time to go back to camping just outside off stump for as long as it took to spot the rare, flirty Indian outside edge. Gabriel found one in his second over, but it didn't carry to second slip.
Rahul's scariest moment came when the length was much shorter, a 144 kph delivery that seamed in at his ribs. He probably assumed the line was a lot wider and committed into a cut shot and only barely avoided being caught behind. Gabriel was the aggrieved bowler, and fit the profile too, with a look that loosely translated to "where are my *$&#^ wickets?" His first spell was five overs - the longest he has bowled on the trot in this series - and gave away only three runs.
The last time India played in Jamaica a Rahul scored a century. So it was again when this Rahul came down the track and smacked the offspin of Chase into the stands at long-on. It was a shot definitive of the knock, showing how the batsman had read the threat of the ball early and how firm he was with his footwork. The only thing it didn't make clear was how effective he had been in keeping the good ones out. A delighted fist-pump, an authoritative raise of his bat and a hug from M Vijay, who came out with drinks, were part of the celebrations.
Coming into the Jamaica Test, Rahul's top five scores in descending order read: 110, 108, 16, 7, 5. Symptoms of a good player, but a nervous starter. So even with the 75 runs he had overnight, there were questions that needed answering. West Indies had a set plan at the start - the extra pace of Gabriel allied to Holder's wide-outside-off lines to restrict run flow and create pressure. An anxious batsman could have been led into a mistake, but Rahul was careful. And decisive too - when he went back, he went right back. When he went forward, he was more or less meeting the ball on the half-volley. Not since Mohammad Azharuddin in 1984-85 had an India batsman converted his first three fifties into hundreds.
Rahul is working towards making himself undroppable. Vijay, currently injured, Kohli and Rahane are India's best Test batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan has shown an improved judgement outside his off stump, an area he had previously struggled with. Pujara hits big hundreds, his inability to do so on Sunday hurt him. Will it hurt his chances for the next too? One of them can't make an Indian XI with five bowlers.
Day 3
West Indies 196 & 0/0
India 500/9d
West Indies trail by 304 runs
A Test match can be a bit like a puppy dog. And great players can lead it wherever they want. This West Indian XI does not have great players. They have great triers. Captain Jason Holder and coach Phil Simmons put the men on defence - understandable considering the opposition had a fat lead. Despite their best efforts, the only thing that seemed to threaten India's chances in Kingston was the weather. A tropical storm has been forecast to hit the region on the fourth day.
Ajinkya Rahane found himself part of a pattern, one that has been central to India's success in the Caribbean. They have batted eleven-and-a-half sessions in this series. And a set batsman had been out there every time. Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin began the trend in Antigua. It continued with KL Rahul yesterday and Rahane today, as he got to his fifty with a fierce square cut to the third man boundary. It was a shot he used often and his back-foot play overall was excellent.
India weren't pushing themselves to full tilt though. The mountains on the horizon were obscured by heavy cloud. Rain came seven overs after lunch and spirited 52 minutes out of the game. Offspinning allrounder Roston Chase took two wickets in two balls and had them eight down when play resumed. The run-scoring stayed sedate.
Virat Kohli, sipping tea in the dressing room, was still in his training gear. He was clearly not thinking about the declaration. Perhaps Rahane approaching a Test century away from home had something to do with that. And with only Nos. 10 and 11 for company he began to farm the strike. This was where West Indies' discipline paid off. They had given away only 142 runs in 46.1 overs. They made India bat long for a lead they liked. Three hundred and four runs behind, with more than two days left, saving this Test will be incredibly hard for Holder and his men, but with severe inclement weather around, the possibility can't be ruled out.
Rahane squirted an outside edge between slip and the wicketkeeper in the 170th over to reach his third hundred in four innings, captured on camera by the coach Anil Kumble and celebrated vigorously by his team-mates. The locals at Sabina Park had something to cheer too when Chase induced a top edge from Umesh Yadav to wrap up his first five-for in his second Test. With a high-arm action resembling Nathan Lyon, he got the ball to dip and bounce. Amit Mishra failed to get to the pitch of one and caught at short leg. Seconds later Mohammed Shami was bowled playing down the wrong line. Chase had worn a sheepish grin yesterday when he conceded he hadn't liked going without a wicket on debut. Now he was leading his team off.
India had pushed their lead over 300 - thanks to a lovely six over long-on from Rahane - and Kohli said that was enough. West Indies were looking at an uncomfortable half-an-hour of batting before tea, but they were saved the trouble when another shower came by and ended the session's play.
Day 4
West Indies 196 & 48/4 (15.5 ov)
India 500/9d
West Indies trail by 256 runs with 6 wickets remaining
Earl, the tropical storm threatening Kingston, allowed for only 15.5 overs on the fourth morning. In that time, India helped themselves to four wickets, suggesting all they needed was a session or two more to wrap up a Test victory. At lunch, West Indies were trailing by 256 runs in their second innings.
An early start - at 9.30 am - had been scuppered by overnight rain leaving the outfield rather wet. When the players finally got on the field at 10.45 am only three overs were possible before a couple of sharp showers forced them back into the dressing rooms. A good chunk of the session was played amid a mild drizzle, which at one point got strong enough to halt play for about a minute before it disappeared into thin air.
West Indies felt tentative batting in these conditions. Not least because the heavy cloud cover was helping the new ball swing nicely. Mohammed Shami used it to his advantage, pitching one on middle and seaming it away to hit the top of Marlon Samuels' off stump for a five-ball duck at his home ground. In his next over, with lunch only seconds away, Shami had Darren Bravo caught in the slips with a well-directed short ball.
Bravo lasted 37 balls, most of which were looking to maim his nose. He did not look to attack them. He struggled to defend them. He often took his eyes off them. Eventually he fell to one of them.
The weather was bad, which might have worried India but West Indies' abysmal batting sent them to lunch with beaming smiles.
Although not as wide as India's smiles, there were cracks on this pitch now, around the short-of-a-length area. Ishant Sharma is naturally a hit-the-deck bowler. When he did so at the start of his second over, it stayed low. Two balls later, however, it gained some extra bounce, hit Rajendra Chandrika's elbow as he was trying to leave the ball outside off and cannoned onto his stumps. Chandrika made 1; his Test average is currently 14 after 10 innings. No West Indian opener has been as bad.
Kraigg Brathwaite had looked a lot better against the short ball. He cut and pulled at the first opportunity against the fast bowlers. Could he bat as well against spin? Virat Kohli brought Amit Mishra on in the 13th over. Mishra bowled one unintentionally short. Brathwaite played an awful pull shot - his feet not going back and across to generate power - and was caught excellently by KL Rahul running back from midwicket.
Kohli ran up to his bowler, his mouth open, his eyes wide, laughing. Mishra hugged his captain, bemusement on his face. Rain that started one minute and left the next. Batsmen who didn't really know what to do. And bowlers who were taking wickets as easily as they snapped their fingers. It was all just a little silly for Test cricket.
Day 5
West Indies 196 & 388/6
India 500/9d
Match drawn
There is a lot to be said of Roston Chase. He's languid at the crease. He plays late and close to his body. He wasn't perturbed by a tough situation. And his timing stood out. Two days short of 50 years and six days after 80th birthday of the last man to do so, he became the first West Indian to combine a hundred and a five-for in the same Test.
Of course, for that to happen he had to hit the ball sweetly too. He looked correct when he defended, graceful when he attacked and bloody determined all through. Sir Garry Sobers wouldn't have minded ceding his record to an innings like that. Not to a fellow Bajan. And certainly not when it helped West Indies draw a Test they seemed almost certain to lose.
On day four, along with 82.1 overs, it appeared West Indies' fight had gone missing too. Their openers fell early, and in ungainly fashion. One senior player fell for a duck and another was a sitting duck against a short ball. It had become a walk in the park for India. This morning, however, they were made to run. The first 25 balls cost 40 runs. The fast bowlers were hit through the line and over the top. The spinners were hit against the turn. Chase had finally made it a contest. At tea, he had the favourite sweating. An hour and a half later, he made Virat Kohli concede and take the draw.
India tried to bounce him, he pulled them away. India used reverse swing, he kept them out shortening his backlift. India had tried to spin him out, but his open stance showed him exactly what was coming at him. On 99, he flicked a ball on his pads right through the man at midwicket, completed the single and celebrated his first Test hundred in his second Test match by crossing his hands in the shape of an 'X' over his head. His coach and team-mates were clapping with gusto. Sir Viv Richards was up on his feet screaming "Roston!"
From the other end, Jamaica's own Jermaine Blackwood smashed 63 off 54 balls and the man who replaced him Shane Dowrich applied himself beautifully. He fell 26 short of a maiden Test hundred when umpire Ian Gould adjudged him lbw to Amit Mishra not spotting an inside edge.
This is only the third time over the last 12 Tests that a Sabina Park crowd got to watch cricket on the fifth day. And while their numbers could have been better, their investment in the match couldn't be faulted too much. One fan implored Dowrich to "come again" - meaning restart - after he turned his nose up at the turn a Mishra legbreak go. The outside edge evaded a diving Ajinkya Rahane at slip. Another boomed "good shot, good shot" when Chase drove R Ashwin down the ground. Among the fans was Sheldon Cottrell, who had completed his CPL stint last week, was in attendance with his little girl on his lap. They were all watching history.
India bowled 69.1 overs. They could eke out only two wickets. For the first time in nine days, their opposition was willing to give, well, opposition. Kohli began to chirp at Chase to see if he could be unruffled. Mishra fielded a ball that was pushed back at him and flung it back at the batsman in frustration. Things were getting out of hand. More accurately, West Indies were not giving anything away under the the kind of pressure where giving away an inch was as good as giving away a mile. Chase and Dowrich raised the team's first hundred partnership of the series at the rate of 3.77 runs per over. Chase and Blackwood had added 93 runs at 5.26 an over. This was not back-to-the wall batting. This was special.
Those in the know say batsmen need to switch on and switch off. But it was difficult to say if Chase ever switched off. His expression did not change throughout. The smallest of smiles broke through when he secured his century; it was only his third in first-class cricket and this was only his 31st first-class match. He was batting like he had a 100 of each. He defied India when they had secured a lead of 304 runs, and then taken four wickets in only 15.5 overs on a rain-hit fourth day. With 98.1 overs on the final day, they were supposed to get back-to-back Test victories in a series away from home. Something that has not happened since 2005, against Zimbabwe. Dilute the equation to the top-eight teams, and you end up at 1986, against England.
Mohammed Shami tried hard, making both the old and the new ball swing. Ishant Sharma tried hard, bowling nagging lines and squaring batsmen up. Ashwin couldn't have one of his days. Umesh Yadav and Mishra were disappointing.
West Indies saw every ball that came down, inspected them carefully and then put them in their place. As good as the strokes themselves was the batsmen's belief they could measure up.
Blackwood showed it when he lifted Mohammed Shami over his head for a six. When he leapt back, stood tall and hit R Ashwin despite the extra bounce to the cover boundary. He became the first West Indian since Shivnarine Chanderpaul in 2014 to hit two half-centuries in the same match.
Dowrich showed it when he lofted Ashwin over the long-on fence. When he used Umesh Yadav's reverse swing to his advantage and flicked through midwicket and when he topped that by pulling a short ball to the boundary.
Holder showed it when he blunted a brutal short ball from Shami, dropping his wrists but keeping his eyes on it to make sure he could control where it fell. When he got to his fifty with a six against Ashwin.
It was only first time in West Indies' history that their Nos. 5 through 8 had hit half-centuries or more in the same innings. That's so rare, it's only happened five times in all of Test history.
The man who inspired it all walked away unbeaten after 88.1 overs of play.
3rd Test
Day 1
India 234/5 (90.0 ov)
West Indies
West Indies won the toss and elected to field
On a day that India made questionable selections, one of the management's moves, promotion of R Ashwin as an allrounder, rescued them from 126 for 5. In testing conditions India left out Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in favour of Rohit Sharma, to accommodate whom the batting order had to be rejigged.
While this apparent push for quick runs resulted in a batting failure, West Indies were not behind in making unusual moves. There was more purpose to their attack, after putting India in, than in the first two Tests, but when the moment arrived to look to finish the innings off, they opted for the patience route, which cut down the runs thanks to a slow outfield but the wickets came only through the batsmen's impatience. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane threw away starts with impatient shots, but Ashwin - dropped on 26 and caught off a no-ball on 35 - and Wriddhiman Saha soldiered on to keep India from imploding.
Ashwin and Saha, 46 off 122, added an unbeaten 108 for the fifth wicket. Another lower-order contribution was a continuation of a trend for India: on tough pitches in the home season, they recovered from 139 for 6 in Delhi, 125 for 6 in Nagpur, and 102 for 5 in Mohali.
The big comeback, though, was that of West Indies in the series. For the first eight days of the series they were pretty much outplayed. Moral victories and psychology can be terms abused in cricket, but the Jamaica draw might have caused damage in Indian heads that might have played a part in leaving them in tatters at tea in St Lucia. West Indies won the toss and utilised the conditions efficiently without being sensational, but India helped them out with their selections.
Having survived the Jamaica Test, West Indies mounted a fresh challenge against this unsteady Indian batting line-up - a different top three in each Test - by taking wickets when the pitch was fresh and then choking India out with disciplined bowling. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, the only specialist batsmen to reach double figures, helped India recover from 19 for 2 but fell in soft manner just before the two session breaks, Rahane to a full toss to end his slowest Test innings of 10 or more.
The second of the wickets was the highlight. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, who impressed with his pace and his bowling mechanics in only his ninth first-class match, nicked out Virat Kohli with the new ball, a promotion in the order because of the selection of Rohit. West Indies' resistance and the resultant draw in Jamaica led to three changes for India, two of them expected, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in for Amit Mishra.
The batting selections were instructive. At the toss, Kohli, who would have batted if he had won the toss anyway, emphasised that Rohit can change a match in a session. Both Vijay, who was fit after missing the Jamaica Test, and Pujara are reputed to be slower scorers. Turns out India might have misread the pitch or underestimated the attack: the situation asked for the patience of Vijay and Pujara. Moreover, Kohli and Rahane had to give up their familiar batting positions.
West Indies were more aggressive to begin with. They added Joseph to the attack, and peppered India with short deliveries at the start. The moisture in the pitch gave them spongy bounce when they pitched short, and some seam movement when they pitched it up. Shikhar Dhawan wasted little time in falling to a short ball, tickling Shannon Gabriel down the leg side.
Kohli walked in at No. 3, which was a positive sign given some of the past batsmen's reluctance to change their batting order for the team's sake. However, the fresh pitch with the new seaming ball was not suited for his style of play: soon he shaped up to cut a Joseph delivery that was neither short nor wide, nor full or close enough to him. Kohli was eventually done in by the extra bounce, but playing such deliveries you get away on pitches like the one in Antigua or against the old ball. A bit of a repeat of his England dismissals brought in India's most reliable batsman, Rahane.
It was Rahul who weathered most of the initial storm. After an ordinary start - missing five of the first 11 balls he played at - he punished every error in length. Every time West Indies overpitched, Rahul drove hard, even in the air. Short and wide deliveries were cut away. It didn't matter that in between the good ones kept beating him. On a day that the rest of the team scored 184 runs, Rahul took 50 off just 65 balls. Having done the hard work, Rahul fell 18 minutes before lunch, trying to whip a shortish delivery from Roston Chase straight to the man who had just moved to short fine leg.
West Indies came back attacking in the second session. Soon Rohit fell in typical manner, pushing defensively at a Joseph outswinger a set of stumps outside off. After that wicket, though, perhaps because the pitch had settled down, West Indies began to test India's patience. It worked: minutes before tea, Rahane, seeing release in a Chase full toss, swept down the wrong line and was bowled for 35 off 153. That didn't result in taking off the part-time spin of Kraigg Brathwaite.
The middle session produced just 43 runs for two wickets, and instead of going for the wickets of the lesser batsmen West Indies began with Jason Holder and Chase in the final session. On another day, persisiting with these tactics might have worked but West Indies made two crucial mistakes. When Ashwin left the crease in impatience, inside-edging Chase, Leon Johnson missed him at short leg. When West Indies looked to break the monotony, Gabriel bowled a short ball from round the wicket for a catch at point, it turned out he had cut the return crease with his back foot.
Other than that, Ashwin and Saha showed remarkable patience. Because of the slow outfield West Indies could have a stacked field. Chase often bowled with a six-three leg-side field, leaving point open and bowling into the pads. Any scoring was now fraught with risk, and if he dropped the ball short the slow outfield cost him just the one run. India were in no state to take risks so the two batsmen put their head down, and kept picking whatever singles or twos were on offer.
Between the fall of Rahul and the claiming of the second new ball, only 111 runs came in 61.3 overs. Against the new ball, having done the hard work, the two batsmen chanced their arms. An edge fell short here, another flew over slips there; a crisp drive was misfielded now, a bowler bowled a loose ball there, and India had 46 in the last nine overs to wrest the initiative a bit. India dropped solid batsmen for quick runs when they should have been weathering the new ball out, then they were forced to bat slowly when they should have been capitalising on the older ball and tired fielders, and finally the lesson of building long Test innings was delivered by the lower order whose first role in the team is not batting.
Day 2
India 353
West Indies 107/1 (47.0 ov)
West Indies trail by 246 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
India lost their first wickets for 126 and their last five for 14, but between the two collapses R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha added 213 runs to save their blushes. Ashwin scored his fourth century, all against West Indies and two in this series, and Saha attacked his way to a maiden Test century, which countered West Indies' plan to keep India from scoring freely on a slow outfield.
The day, though, belonged to West Indies, whose new opening combination of Leon Johnson and Kraigg Brathwaite followed the bowling charge with a stand greater than all their earlier opening partnerships in this series put together. Brathwaite ended the day unbeaten on 53, with West Indies still 246 behind, which could take some time coming on the slow outfield. After 230 runs on the first day, the second day again produced 230 for six wickets.
India's theoretical dislike of slow scoring, and some of the selections in Virat Kohli's Test team might leave you worried for the future of old-fashioned Test batsmen, but Saha and Ashwin continued to bat for the tribe after the rescue job on day one. While Ashwin, resuming on 75, gave India the solidity, it was Saha who played with intent against a limited West Indies attack happy to play the defensive game. Saha added 58 off 107 balls to his overnight 46 even as West Indies kept it tight at the other end.
The first hour of the day replicated what happened for long periods on the opening day. West Indies stacked up one side of the field, and their strike bowlers spent their energy bowling on that side of the wicket, hoping for impatient shots from the batsmen. None of that arrived.
The intent came in the second hour with Saha taking risks and Ashwin taking only what came his way, understandable given he was approaching a hundred. Saha's effort on the second morning was a repeat of his approach on the first day. Against disciplined bowling, Saha had scored 1 off the first 34 balls he faced, 8 off the first 65, and then opened up to end the day on 46 off 122. When he came back on Wednesday he scored just 6 off the first 31 balls he faced, but then drove Alzarri Joseph through cover for the first boundary of the day, in the 10th over of the morning.
After drinks the clear plan seemed for Saha to have a go and disrupt West Indies from their plan of taking time out of the game. Sixty-one came in the second hour as opposed to 21 in the first. Saha was at the forefront, hitting all of the first five boundaries of the day. The third of those, a slog off Roston Chase, the offspinner, took him to his personal best, 64. The fourth took the partnership to 150. In the 21st over of the morning, Ashwin cut away from his body and got his first boundary of the day, moving to 99.
Even as Ashwin stayed on 99, Saha raced away from 76 to 93 by the time the players went off for their second meal of the day. In the last over before lunch, though, Shannon Gabriel caught Saha on the bare forearm with a short ball. Saha came back with a swollen elbow, but both the batsmen duly reached their centuries with Saha becoming only the fourth India wicketkeeper to score an away century. In the seventh over after lunch, Saha went to drive a really full delivery from Alzarri Joseph, edging it through to Shane Dowrich.
Now the West Indies pace attack charged at the tail with renewed vigour. Having waited 281 balls for his first Test wicket, Miguel Cummins took three in 10 balls: Ravindra Jadeja following an angling delivery, and Ashwin and Ishant Sharma fending at awkward short balls. In between the Cummins carnage, Gabriel came back to get a much-deserved second wicket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught at short leg.
That the quick bowlers were making the batsmen fend pointed to some life in the pitch, but only if you banged the ball in. The India bowlers - Bhuvneshwar and Mohammed Shami with the new ball - looked to nick the batsmen out. Shami took over Cummins' poor luck; in the half hour before tea he drew an edge from Brathwaite fell short, and one from Johnson was dropped by KL Rahul at third slip. By the time Rahul made amends with a direct hit from midwicket to run Johnson out, West Indies had put together their first fifty opening in 26 innings.
For the first time in the series Darren Bravo walked out after a good start, and batted with more assurance than earlier. Brathwaite brought out the discipline he is known for, waiting for loose balls, not minding having to run runs because of the slow outfield, breaking the monotony with a chip shot here or there, spending more than three hours at the wicket for his half-century. The closest India came to a wicket was indifferent running from Bravo and Brathwaite.
Day 3
India 353
West Indies 107/1 (47.0 ov)
West Indies trail by 246 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
The St Lucia Test took a big step towards a draw with steady rain not allowing any play on the third day. The match had already gone at a slow pace on the first two days with 11 wickets falling for only 460 runs. There hadn't been any weather interruption on the first two days; the slowness was down to disciplined West Indies bowling and a slow outfield.
West Indies were 107 for 1, trailing India's 353 by 246 runs. With two days to go and an outfield slowed down further, chances of a result looked remote. India led the series 1-0 after the win in Antigua and draw in Jamaica.
The rain on the third day was so steady play was called off before tea, at 1.45pm. Forecast for day four was for early showers but a clear afternoon.
Day 4
India 353 & 157/3 (39.0 ov)
West Indies 225
India lead by 285 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Despite a rained-out day and the slow rate of scoring in the first two innings, India entertained thoughts of winning the St Lucia Test thanks to a masterful spell of swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Playing his first Test in a year and a half, Bhuvneshwar swung through the West Indies side with a spell of 11.4-6-16-5 as West Indies went from 202 for 3 to 225 all out.
With 98 overs to go in the match and a lead of 285 in the bag, India could think of declaring soon on the fifth morning. They made a good start to the endeavour, scoring 157 for 3 in the 39 overs they got on day four, a rate well higher than the 2.48 an over in the first two innings.
Bhuvneshwar, and for that matter Ravindra Jadeja, is not Virat Kohli's first choice. He prefers Umesh Yadav's pace and Amit Mishra's legspin. Post lunch on day four, with West Indies going fairly well in their quest to ensure they don't lose this Test, it was Bhuvneshwar and Jadeja who turned the match around with the second new ball.
There's a reason why Bhuvneshwar was Kohli's last resort. He bowled the entire match-changing spell without a fine leg. No fine leg, no long leg, no backward square leg. No man behind square on the leg side. Kohli prefers his wickets with batsmen fending at express quicks. It was a sign that the young captain is not stubborn in that he first selected Bhuvneshwar and then gave him the field that works with his bowling. Bhuvneshwar was about to show him the other way of taking wickets.
Kohli had taken the new ball as soon as it became available just before lunch despite the struggles of Jermaine Blackwood and Marlon Samuels against the turning old ball. It was a session in which an India bowler took a wicket for the first time in 528 legal deliveries. If the last wicket off a bowler shouldn't have been given out - Shane Dowrich on the last day in Jamaica - the legality of this 528th delivery was in doubt. It was an Ishant Sharma bouncer that Darren Bravo top-edged after taking his eyes off, but Ishant didn't quite seem to have a part of his foot behind the crease. It wasn't an obvious no-ball, though, and after multiple replays the third umpire ruled in favour of the bowler, perhaps acting on the new ICC directive to grant the benefit of doubt to the bowler.
Kraigg Brathwaite on...
West Indies' day-five approach: "They have a decent lead. So obviously we have to see what they do tomorrow in terms of declaration. We think the pitch is still a good one and in terms of the time we have the key is to assess it as a batting group and decide whether to go for the win or the draw. We will see when the declaration comes, what we will go for."
On Darren Bravo's dismissal: "You know the umpires have a job to do. The players can't get into that."
R Ashwin went on to get the other overnight batsman, Kraigg Brathwaite, and the two spinners had Samuels and Blackwood uncomfortable. Kohli took the new ball and handed it over to Bhuvneshwar. The batsmen had added 59 before lunch, they can both punish errors in line, but through the spell Bhuvneshwar conceded only two shots to fine leg. Blackwood was the first one to go, having faced 15 straight dots from Bhuvneshwar, who bowled a length fuller than he did with the first new ball. The 16th was an outswinger that Blackwood, who loves bat on ball, couldn't resist. Kohli took one of the more predictable edges at second slip.
It took less persistence to set Samuels, 48, up. With Blackwood facing the Bhuvneshwar swing almost exclusively, it was only during the 10th over with the new ball that Samuels was presented to Bhuvneshwar. This time Bhuvneshwar was in no mood for slow cooking. Four outswingers later, he went wide on the crease, slipped in an inswinger, and Samuels, surprised by it all, played on.
Kohli brought Jadeja on at the other end, and he kept creating trouble with the ones that went straight on. The one that turned, though, got the man who had denied India in Jamaica, Roston Chase. Bhuvneshwar's masterclass continued at the other end. Jason Holder was caught on the back foot by one that angled in, and Alzarri Joseph followed a straight ball outside off.
With a remarkable five-for in sight, Bhuvneshwar's persistence was thoroughly tested by his fielders. There were signs he was tiring - the second ball of the 10th over was short and pulled for four, reducing the spell analysis to 9.2-6-11-4 - but he still produced the edge from Shane Dowrich. KL Rahul dropped his second chance of the match at third slip, but it took the third umpire to ascertain it that he had grassed it. In his next over, Bhuvneshwar was offered what should have been his through an ill-advised pull from Dowrich. Rohit Sharma, though, dropped a relatively easy catch at midwicket; he suggested he had lost the ball in the sun. Later in that over Bhuvneshwar was denied a pretty straightforward lbw by the umpire; Miguel Cummins was the beneficiary this time.
A change in bowling at the other end worked. R Ashwin ended this frustrating 6.5-over partnership, and Bhuvneshwar bowled another over to complete his third Test five-for. This was one of his least impressive wickets; in this over he had even conceded a boundary to fine leg. Two balls later Dowrich saw one short and wide, edged the cut, and this time Shikhar Dhawan nearly dropped it at first slip. Dhawan took the rebound, drawing hardly a reaction from Bhuvneshwar.
India had wasted about 40 minutes through some ordinary fielding, but the first culprit, Rahul, went about making up for that time in earnest. His 28 off 24 gave India a run rate of higher than six, but with the subsequent fall of Kohli and Dhawan meant Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma had to be cautious at the start of their partnership. They scored only 16 in the first nine overs of their stand as West Indies made no bones about trying to slow India down through containment and not wickets. Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite bowled 19 overs between them after the pace bowlers had travelled.
Rahane and Rohit made up for the slow start, ending the day with 51 off 93 and 41 off 57, but the time wasted through dropped catches and the mid-innings slowdown could just end up costing India a five-six over burst with the second new ball on day five.
Day 5
India 353 & 217/7d
West Indies 225 & 108 (47.3 ov)
India won by 237 runs
On Thursday, the third day of the St Lucia Test, India saw rain wash a whole day's play out, with runs having been scored at about 2.5 an over on the first two days, with the bowlers' last memory of having taken a wicket 79.2 overs ago. By the end of the play on Saturday, the fifth day, India had taken 17 wickets in 63.5 overs to complete an incredible Test and series win, a win borne as much out of belief and intent as out of West Indies' lack of resistance after what hopefully wasn't a false down in Jamaica.
India began day four believing they could still win; West Indies did nothing to make India doubt it. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's swing masterclass left India 285 in lead at the end of the fourth day, India quickly ran away to 60 runs in nine overs to leave West Indies with no chance of winning and 87 overs to survive. That was a big difference between Jamaica and St Lucia: there one counterattack put them within sight of parity and gave them direction, here they didn't know where to go. Feet stopped moving, brains got muddled, plans went absent, and India stayed relentless. The victory, the first time India won two Tests in a series outside Asia since 2005 and the first time ever in the West Indies, arrived before tea.
The gulf in the class and awareness between the teams was glaring on the fifth day. It began with awareness and intent. India knew the outfield was slow, they knew they were short on time, so they came out running runs as if in street cricket. Tip and run, runs to slip, second runs with the ball in the fielder's hand, thirds because of panicked throws and poor backing up, India almost literally stole these runs from under West Indies' noses. A six-wicket haul for Miguel Cummins as the batsmen went after the bowling was the only silver running on a dark day for West Indies cricket. Ajinya Rahane, not surprisingly, top-scored with an unbeaten 78.
Then came the question of class. West Indies still had only 87 overs to survive on a pretty reliable surface. Except that the batting was not reliable. Coming into this innings having lost their last seven first-innings wickets in 16.2 overs, West Indies needed a solid start. It wasn't to be. On a new-ball pitch, the India quicks were soon going to be all over them. This was going to call for gumption, especially if West Indies lost a wicket early on. Which they duly did, with new opener Leon Johnson fending Mohammed Shami to short leg.
Bhuvneshwar, who had cracked the game open with a quick five-for on day four, then had Kraigg Brathwaite - not the only West Indies batsman who prefers to stay back - with a really full delivery. The inswinger held its line a little, Brathwaite played across its line and was caught dead plumb. With openers gone in the fifth over, there was extra responsibility on the most experienced West Indies batsmen, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo. Samuels couldn't have played a more irresponsible innings.
Samuels went from fasting to sugar rush betraying no sense of plan or direction to his batting. He faced the first 12 balls of his innings responsibly, avoiding the short-pitch barrage nicely. With no run to his name, and no intent to score any until then, out of nowhere he looked for a lofted off drive to the 13th ball he faced. Having survived that rush of blood, having scored his first run off the 21st ball he faced, Samuels got two half-volleys from R Ashwin, boundaries off which should have settled down nerves.
Samuels, though, went on a hitting spree. He was lucky he mistimed his next big shot, an attempted loft with a long-on in place. This one fell short, but Samuels, having been dormant for the first half of the innings, struggled to calm himself down. The feet didn't move, the bat went high, an inswinger from Ishant Sharma burst through the gate and sent the off stump on a cartwheel.
Three wickets had been lost in 13.2 overs, but Roston Chase and Bravo batted more sensibly and saw West Indies through to lunch. Post lunch Ishant produced the delivery of the innings to remove the centurion from Jamaica, Chase. India had got their act together for Chase, bowling fuller than they did in Jamaica, giving him less time to recover should there be any misbehaviour off the pitch. This one misbehaved massively, seaming back in from a full length to take the off stump out.
Jermaine Blackwood's attacking ways were less likely to work here; India had anyway cut off his runs by not bowling in his zone. A frustrated big drive - trying to save a Test with parity nowhere in sight - brought an on-the-line stumping, and half the side was gone even before the ball became old and settled down.
After about the 30th over, the pitch settled down a little. The edges began to die, as R Ashwin found out with Bravo who reached his first fifty in eight innings. The seam movement ceased. A main batsman would have found this period easier to negotiate, but Shane Dowrich fell to a disciplined spell from Shami, who followed on from a seven-over interrogation by Bhuvneshwar. Jason Holder ran himself out, and with the tail in the middle it was just a consolation that West Indies managed to cross 100 and didn't succumb to their lowest total against India.
4th Test
Day 1
West Indies 62/2
India
India's hopes of retaining the No. 1 Test ranking going into the home season suffered a setback as only 22 overs were possible on the first day in wet Port of Spain. Forecast for the second day wasn't great either, and the facilities at the ground came under scrutiny too. The first day's play began half an hour late despite no rain since the evening before the Test, and it was called off as early as 2pm. There is no super sopper at Queen's Park Oval.
Any team will be a tad disappointed with losing two wickets in the first session after choosing to bat on a slow track, but such has been the state of the West Indies batting that they might take this, with the rain being the bonus. Only once in the series have they lost their third wicket after reaching three figures. Kraigg Brathwaite, who has shown the willingness to buckle down, did that job, but he will be disappointed they lost two wickets especially after he and Leon Johnson had seen off the first spells of the opening bowlers.
West Indies will be all the more disappointed because the pitch was really slow after having spent a lot of time under covers because of rain leading up to the Test. It had left the outfield wet enough to delay the start of the Test by half an hour. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had cracked open the last Test for India, wasted little time, though, in creating opportunities. In his first four overs, he hit the outside edge of Brathwaite's bat four times: twice the ball fell short, once it travelled in the gap in the slip cordon, and once Virat Kohli dropped it at second slip, seeming to suggest he expected third slip KL Rahul to go for it.
That wasn't the first disfavour he had done his bowlers: he had decided to play just the four bowlers so that both Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma could be included. Also he dropped Shikhar Dhawan for M Vijay after an uncertain batting line-up had been reduced to 126 for 5 in the previous Test.
After seeing off Bhuvneshwar and Mohammed Shami for a partnership of 31 runs, Johnson fell to the first ball bowled by Ishant Sharma. This was his second straight dismissal to short leg, and again straight off the bat. Ishant got it just high enough into the ribs, but Johnson could have left it alone.
The second wicket didn't take so much co-operation from the batsman. After Darren Bravo had picked R Ashwin for a two and a four at his home ground, the next ball was just a bit shorter, creating the distance between the pitch of the ball and the bat. Then it had enough time to turn from middle and leg and past the outside edge to hit the top of off stump. That in the first session of a Test is excellent for a spinner.
Brathwaite, though, remained solid and in partnership with Marlon Samuels took West Indies to within 15 minutes of lunch when rain brought them early relief. As it turned out steady rain for the next hour or so was all it took for the day's play to be called off.
Day 2
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
From the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen's Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled despite the sun beating down on the ground till 2pm.
The umpires came out for inspection after inspection after inspection, but didn't find the outfield to be fit for play. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff nor was the whole ground covered when it rained. The eventual downpour at 2.15pm, 15 minutes before yet another inspection, accounted for any remaining hopes.
With only 22 overs possible on the first two days, with forecast not great for the rest of the Test and given the facilities available at Queen's Park Oval, only an unbelievable three days could produce a result. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.
Day 3
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
Surreal scenes of an outfield being dug up during a Test match were not enough to dry Queen's Park Oval enough for any cricket on day three. For the second day in a row, not a single ball was bowled despite there being bright sunshine in the first half of the day. The ground staff dug up parts of the outfield to perhaps try to aerate it, but more rain around noon frustrated everyone further. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff.
With only 22 overs possible on the first two days and given the facilities available at Queen's Park Oval, a result was extremely unlikely. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.
Day 4
West Indies 62 for 2 v India (No play wet outfield plus rain)
All efforts to get the Queen's Park Oval ready for play were given up in the very first hour of the fourth day. At around 10.25am, the fourth day was called off.
Since the early morning on day two of the Test, there had been barely an hour of rain, but the outfield was in such a bad state that not a ball was bowled for three days. The ground was not fully covered, it didn't have a super sopper, and Test cricket went through another surreal day of no action.
With the Test certain to end as a draw, Pakistan were all set to become the new No. 1 Test team; India needed to win this Test to retain their top spot.
Day 5
West Indies 62/2 (22.0 ov)
India
Match drawn
The farce in Port of Spain ended in bright sunshine with no play possible, just like the earlier three days. Called off at 9.30am on the fifth day, this was the third-shortest non-abandoned Test ever.
This was the first Test played in August in Trinidad, which is the rainy season. The outfield had taken a lot of beating in the days leading up to the Test, but the ground staff was economical with covering the ground when it rained, leaving the bowlers' run-up exposed. There was no super sopper available either. As a result the field didn't recover from the rain on day one, and only 22 overs - all in the first session of the Test - were bowled.
The draw meant India lost their No. 1 ranking to Pakistan one week after they had gained it thanks to the whitewash of Australia in Sri Lanka. They still won the series 2-0, the first time they won two Tests in a series in the West Indies.
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