Visitors India have set a difficult goal for the hosts in the series-deciding game at the Queen’s Park Oval by adopting the appealing “Bazball” style on the penultimate day of the 2nd Test against the West Indies. On Day 4 of the second Test, Rohit’s record-breaking score and Ishan Kishan‘s first-ever half-century allowed the Rahul Dravid-coached team to declare at 181/2 in the second innings.
At tea, Team India, featuring Virat Kohli, increased their advantage to 301 runs. On a day plagued by rain in Port of Spain, top batter Shubman Gill and his partner-in-crime Kishan were still unblemished at 29 and 52, respectively. On the final day of the second Test, India must defeat the West Indies to clinch the victory after an outstanding batting display by the visitors.
Siraj talks about Ashwin
Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj has encouraged veteran spinner Ashwin to perform admirably for the visitors on a thrilling Day 5 at the Queen’s Park Oval as India is on the verge of a historic series victory. At the conclusion of Sunday’s play, bowler Siraj asserted that Ashwin will destroy the West Indies batting on Day 5. “The way the wicket is behaving, Ashwin, I feel, will run through the West Indies batting… the ball is turning,” said Siraj, who finished with a five-wicket haul in the first innings against the West Indies.
“I would rate my performance very high because it’s not easy to take five wickets on a flat wicket. I had set a plan, especially when the ball started reverse swinging, I executed my line and length perfectly. My plan was simple… since the ball wasn’t doing much, I kept it stump-to-stump and also derived some seam,” he added.
On Monday’s final day of the second Test, top batsmen Tagenarine Chanderpaul (age 24) and Jermaine Blackwood (age 20) will continue the West Indies‘ batting. On Day 4, the master of spin Ashwin secured the crucial dismissal of Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite (28) while Siraj collected 5-60 in the first innings. On Day 4 in Trinidad, West Indies were limited to 76-2 in 32 overs by Ashwin, who also gave Kirk McKenzie a four-ball duck.
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