India’s decision to declare its innings on 518 seemed slightly hasty when West Indies’ Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze were cantering ahead in boundaries on the second day of the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
Athanaze had fancied his reverse sweep and succeeded twice. In the first instance, against Kuldeep Yadav, he complemented it with a sweep in front of square in the same over.
His partner, Chanderpaul, pulled off two lofts down the ground against Ravindra Jadeja after nonchalantly hopping out of his crease.
West Indies had finally shown up. In response to India’s towering total, it accumulated 71 runs in 25 overs, mixing caution with intent. India’s only wicket too was a lucky break at best, as John Campbell’s slog sweep — out of the middle of his blade — off Jadeja, was grabbed by Sai Sudharsan at short leg.
India’s spinners could have exploited a more deteriorated surface had the host side batted longer.
“I’m not surprised [with the lack of turn] because we’ve asked for slow turn. We’ve not asked for rank turners. This is what we expected,” Jadeja said at the post-match press conference.
“As the game progresses, the wicket will start turning more, not on the first day. I think we’re not surprised. We have to work hard, we have to bowl well throughout the innings, then only we’ll be able to get them out.”
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For the first time in this series, West Indies controlled the tempo. But putting up a fight against India’s spinners in their backyard takes twice the effort. Holding onto the advantage was a stiffer ask.
On Saturday, Jadeja and Kuldeep then showed control over more than one variable, using a change of pace, line and length to allow India to reclaim its grip on the contest.
Kuldeep and Jadeja — who have taken all four wickets for India in this match so far — combined to dismiss of West Indies’ Alick Athanaze.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Kuldeep and Jadeja — who have taken all four wickets for India in this match so far — combined to dismiss of West Indies’ Alick Athanaze.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Shubman Gill had inserted his spinners in the eighth over, with the introduction of Jadeja. Chanderpaul had survived the early parts of Jadeja’s spell by putting long lunges with his front leg, removing a leg-before-wicket dismissal out of the equation.
Jadeja changed his line briefly and targeted the stumps. That prompted a DRS review against Chanderpaul, when he miscued a sweep, but the angle took the ball down leg.
In the 28th over, Jadeja changed his line again, went outside off, weaved it in with a change of pace and got his reward.
Chanderpaul had deposited him over long on two deliveries earlier, but Jadeja fired back with a fuller, wider one; Chanderpaul could not help but come forward and edged to KL Rahul at slip.
Shai Hope was next. Jadeja welcomed him with a quick, flat delivery at 93 kmph on the off stump. Hope wanted to play off the back foot and got trapped in front of his wicket.
India went for a DRS this time, and Hope was saved by an umpire’s call. On the very next ball, Jadeja offered a floater at 88 kmph, on the off-stump line. Tempted for a drive, all Hope could get was an edge, but luckily for him, wide of the slip.
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From the other end, Kuldeep had been launched through midwicket by Athanaze. But when he returned for a second spell, he retorted with a change in length. Keeping his loopy trajectory the same, Kuldeep nearly landed this delivery in the block hole.
Athanaze went for a heave through midwicket once more, but had to alter his bat swing at the last instance to adjust for length. He holed out to the fielder, coincidentally Jadeja.
“Every ball was not spinning fast. The bounce was also low. You have to throw the ball from the shoulder to generate pace
“If you throw a slow ball, it doesn’t bounce. It’s easier for the batsman to adjust and play off their back foot. You have to mix it up. You have to vary the speed in the air. It’s not that easy. Not every ball is spinning fast. It’s hard work,” Jadeja said.
The third wicket too came with a change of pace and length. Jadeja pushed Roston Chase to his back foot off the first two deliveries of his over.
With the third, Jadeja went fuller and a fraction slower at 88kmph. Caught in two minds, Chase played with stationary feet and gave a soft return catch to the bowler.
“We have to work hard, we have to bowl well throughout the innings, then only we’ll be able to get them out,” Jadeja said, having taken three wickets so far in the match.
| Photo Credit:
R. V. MOORTHY
“We have to work hard, we have to bowl well throughout the innings, then only we’ll be able to get them out,” Jadeja said, having taken three wickets so far in the match.
| Photo Credit:
R. V. MOORTHY
Hope survived the late charge from India’s spinners, ending unbeaten on 31 off 46 balls. His partnership with Tevin Imlach allowed West Indies to arrest the collapse and hang on in the contest. West Indies was 140 for four at Stumps, still 378 runs from parity.
“Tomorrow will be tough. If we can break the partnership in the morning, it will be easier for us. They don’t have a long batting order. But it won’t be that easy. At times, the ball bounces and spins sharply after pitching, but that’s not yet. We’ll have to work hard,” Jadeja said.
Published on Oct 11, 2025
