Incidentally, this is the first time in over six decades that India has won more than one Test match in the Caribbean islands.
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But India’sascendancycannot be completely wiped off, either.
Though overnight rain did stop ahead of the first session, play could not begin on Thursday as the outfield was flooded and the pitch was damp under covers.
Seamer Mohammed Shami spearheaded the assault in taking three for 11 but all the bowlers made key contributions in consigning the West Indies to defeat.
West Indies’ misery was epitomised when captain Jason Holder (1) pushed into the offside and took off for a suicide single. At the post-match presentation, Kohli suggested that India might continue with their rejigged batting order for now, and that Rohit might need a substantial run of games to find his feet as a Test cricketer. India needed another near-perfect display with the ball. KL Rahul, who had made the most nervous of debuts in Melbourne, scoring 3 and 1, kept his place.
India had other ideas as they went after quick runs on the fifth morning, crashing 60 from nine overs, chiefly from Ajinkya Rahane’s bat as he finished unbeaten on 78.
The bowler was Miguel Cummins. That, perhaps, was the only silver lining for the home side.
West Indies would have hoped to salvage a draw by batting out 87 overs after a gritty performance in Jamaica but their chase started on a poor note. There was a sharp chance in the 62nd over off Jadeja, when the ball lobbed up and Rohit Sharma diving backwards at forward short leg only managed to get a hand to it.
His opening partner, Kraigg Brathwaite, fell in the very next over as an inswinger from first-innings destroyer Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapped him leg-before.
Samuels (39 not out) and Blackwood (20 not out) will resume in the afternoon seeking to extend a fourth-wicket partnership already worth 59 runs. The India vs West Indies live score update of the match will be available HERE and HERE. This time around, there were no such heroics. That means I take up the extra responsibility at No 3.
Chasing a huge target of 346, West Indies were bowled out in 47.3 overs.
It had resulted in slacking form with the ball, but now he seems to be back at full fitness and moving the ball at will once again. Marlon Samuels and Jermaine Blackwood took a cautious route to overcome Jadeja and Ashwin. Wriddhiman Saha whipped the bails off, and the third umpire, after much deliberation ruled the decision in India’s favour.
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A flurry of wickets became a serious cause of concern for West Indies. The homeside had slipped to a sorry state at 84 for 6.
