Jadeja extends India’s dominance over West Indies after Gill’s ton

DELHI: Ravindra Jadeja’s three-wicket haul helped India leave West Indies in tatters on the second day of their second Test here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

At the stumps on day two, the touring side were 140/4, trailing by a massive 378 runs, with Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach in the middle.

Earlier in the day, the hosts resumed their first innings from 318/2 through overnight centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill.

India, however, had a forgetful resumption to their batting spree as mainstay Jaiswal got run out on just the eighth delivery of the day. The left-handed opener remained the top-scorer with 175 off 373 deliveries, studded with 22 boundaries.

His dismissal, however, did not bother the home side much as Gill, joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy, kept the West Indies bowlers in check.

The duo of Gill and Reddy batted at a brisk pace to add 91 runs for the fourth wicket until the all-rounder fell victim to Jomel Warrican just minutes before Lunch. He scored 43 off 54 deliveries with the help of four fours and two sixes.

Meanwhile, Gill then joined forces with wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel, and the duo batted India past the 500-run mark with a 102-run partnership, which saw the skipper amass his 10th Test century.

The stand eventually culminated with Jurel’s dismissal off Roston Chase halfway into the second session, which prompted India’s declaration 518/5 in 134.2 overs.

Gill remained unbeaten with 129 off 260 deliveries, laced with 16 fours and two sixes, while Jurel made a 79-ball 44.

Warrican was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, taking three wickets for 98 runs in his 34 overs, while Chase made one strike.

In response, West Indies could accumulate 140/4 in 43 overs before the stumps were drawn.

The touring side had a shaky start to their innings as Jadeja dismissed opening batter John Campbell (10) in the eighth over with just 21 runs on the board.

Following the early setback, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze launched a brief recovery with their 66-run partnership for the second wicket, but their dismissals in the span of 28 deliveries pushed West Indies to the back foot.

Athanaze remained the top-scorer for the visitors with 41 off 84 deliveries, while Chanderpaul made 34 from 67 balls, laced with four fours and a six.

Jadeja added further to West Indies’ woes by getting Chase caught and bowled in the next over, reducing them to 107/4 before Hope and Imlach halted the collapse.

The duo will resume West Indies’ response to India’s mammoth of 518 on the third day as the touring side have a mountain to climb to avoid follow-on.

For India, Jadeja was the standout bowler on the second day with three wickets for just 37 runs in 14 overs, while Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one.