Shami, Umesh put India in driver’s seat as West Indies follow-on

Shami, Umesh put India in driver’s seat as West Indies follow-on

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Four-wicket hauls from Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav helped India bowl out West Indies for 243 to take a first innings lead of 323 runs. In the follow-on, Ishant Sharma removed Kraigg Brathwaite before the end of play to leave India nine wickets away from a victory.

Brief Scores : India 566/8 declared in 161.5 overs (Kohli 200(283), Ashwin 113(253); Brathwaite 3/65) vs West Indies 243 all-out in 90.2 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 74(218), Dowrich 57*(79); Umesh 4/41, Shami 4/66) and 21/1 in 13 overs (Ishant 1/3) trail by 302 runs.

After coming in as a nightwatchman at the end of day 2, Devendra Bishoo along with opener Kraigg Brathwaite frustrated the Indians for the first half an hour of play. The bowlers patiently waited for their chance and when it came, they grabbed it by both hands. Bishoo played an impatient sweep against Amit Mishra and missed it completely. With the batsmen’s foot outside the crease, Wriddhiman Saha did the rest to give India the first breakthrough of the day.

Brathwaite and Darren Bravo looked to stabilize the West Indies innings, but Mohammad Shami broke through the pair with a brilliant spell of fast bowling. The Indian pacer decimated the home team's middle order as he dismissed Bravo, Marlon Samuels, and Jermaine Blackwood in the space of 6.3 overs. From 90/2, West Indies were left crumbling at 92/5.

Brathwaite kept fighting a lone battle at the other end, and eventually he found some support from Roston Chase. The duo put up 47 runs, before West Indies once again lost wickets in quick successions. This time, it was Umesh Yadav, who provided the breakthrough for Virat Kohli. The pacer was too good for the lower order batsmen of the West Indies, and ended the first innings with four wickets.

Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder played a couple of useful cameos lower down the order, with the former reaching his half century. With only three wickets left in hand, the duo went after the Indian bowling and produced a hugely significant 69-run partnership to give the scoreboard some respectability. However, it was not enough to save the follow-on as the home side were bundled out at 243.

Virat Kohli enforced the follow-on and Kraigg Brathwaite, who had batted brilliantly in the first innings, was trapped in front of the wicket in the first over by Ishant Sharma. West Indies ended the day at 21/1, still trailing India by 302 runs with two more days of play left. They will need a miracle to save this Test match from this position.

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