Rain plays spoilsport as India looks for victory against West Indies
India’s pursuit of victory over West Indies in the second and final Test was hampered by steady rain on the fourth day at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. Mohammed Siraj’s impressive five-wicket haul in the morning had put India in a strong position, but the wet weather prevented them from making significant progress in the afternoon session.
Siraj was the star of the morning session as he scythed through the West Indies’ lower order to finish with figures of five for 60. The home side lost their last five wickets for just 26 runs, being dismissed for 255 in their first innings and trailing India by 183 runs.
In response, Indian captain Rohit Sharma led the charge with a quick-fire 57 before falling victim to a catch by Alzarri Joseph off Shannon Gabriel’s delivery. Sharma’s opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, also made a positive start, scoring 38 before being caught by wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva off the bowling of left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.
India patiently waited for play to resume after tea, hoping to make further inroads before potentially declaring their innings. With a lead of 301 runs and aware of the looming threat of more rain on the final day, India’s batsmen aimed to score quickly and give their bowlers plenty of time to dismiss the West Indies once again.
While Siraj received well-deserved praise for his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, debutant Mukesh Kumar made a promising start to his international career. Kumar’s early breakthrough, trapping Alick Athanaze leg-before, set the stage for Siraj to wreak havoc at the other end. Siraj utilized the muggy conditions, swinging the ball in the air and off the seam, to dismiss Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, and Shannon Gabriel.
In the second innings, India will look for Siraj to complete a hat-trick with his first delivery after his consecutive wickets of Roach and Gabriel. However, the rain means India’s plans are on hold, and they will be hoping for improved weather conditions on the final day.
The visitors are keen to secure victory against a vulnerable West Indies batting line-up to seal the series. With their formidable lead and limited time remaining, India will likely adopt an aggressive approach when play resumes.
As fans eagerly await the resumption of the game, the rain has frustrated India’s progress and hopes of a swift victory. They will now have to rely on the weather permitting to achieve a satisfying result in this final Test.
