New Delhi | Kuldeep Yadav produced a moment of magic to dismiss Shai Hope as the ineptness of the West Indies batting unit was once again laid bare, with the visitors staring down the barrel at 217 for eight at lunch on the third day of the second Test against India here Sunday. West Indies now trail by 301 runs. India are expected to enforce a follow-on unless the Windies tail wags in the post-lunch session.
After Ravindra Jadeja got rid of the top-order on the second evening, it was Kuldeep who bowled a piece of beauty to dismiss Hope (36) and set the ball rolling for what is expected to be another big innings defeat for the West Indies.
Kuldeep (4/72), who was initially bringing his bowling arm down from a wider angle, got one closer to his head and fired it slightly quicker. There was appreciable drift as Hope played inside the line and it beat his outside edge to peg back the off-stump.
Once Hope was gone, the hope of a revival was out of the window. Tevin Imlach (21) played a leg-break on the backfoot only to be adjudged leg-before through DRS.
Justin Greaves (17) was never going to survive playing those dangerous reverse sweeps bowled on the stumps. Mohammed Siraj then got into the act taking the wicket of Jomel Warrican, who played one on.
Hope and Imlach tried to carry out a rescue job when Jasprit Bumrah (0/28) did not exactly look menacing in the morning. In fact both Hope and Imlach negotiated Bumrah comfortably and even Kuldeep was hit for a few fours.
However once Kuldeep bowled that delivery to Hope, the floodgates opened. The following batters made a beeline towards the pavilion. In a space of seven overs, West Indies lost four wickets and were reduced to 175 for 8.
Kharry Pierre (19 batting) and Anderson Phillip (19 not out) added 42 runs for the ninth wicket to delay the inevitable.
Scoreboard at lunch on day 3 of the second Test between India and West Indies here on Sunday.
India's innings: 518/5 decl
West Indies innings (O/n): 140/4 in 43 overs
John Campbell c Sai Sudharsan b Jadeja 10
Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Rahul b Jadeja 34
Alick Athanaze c Jadeja b Kuldeep Yadav 41
Shai Hope b Kuldeep Yadav 36
Roston Chase c & b Jadeja 0
Tevin Imlach lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 21
Justin Greaves lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 17
Khary Pierre batting 19
Jomel Warrican b Mohammed Siraj 1
Anderson Phillip batting 19
Extras: (LB-14, NB-5) 19
Total: (For 8 wkts, 72 overs) 217
Fall of wkts: 1-21, 2-87, 3-106, 4-107, 5-156, 6-163, 7-174, 8-175.
Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 10-4-28-0, Mohammed Siraj 8-1-16-1, Ravindra Jadeja 19-5-46-3, Kuldeep Yadav 22-3-72-4, Washington Sundar 13-2-41-0.