India close in on Test series sweep against West Indies

India closed in on a 2-0 series sweep in the second Test despite some spirited West Indies batting led by centuries from John Campbell and Shai Hope on Monday.

Needing 121 for victory after bowling out the West Indies for 390, the hosts reached 63-1 at stumps on day four at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

KL Rahul, on 25, and Sai Sudharsan, on 30, were batting in a stand of 54 at close of an absorbing day’s play.

Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early for eight after left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican had the Indian opener caught at long-on while attempting an ambitious heave.

Rahul and the left-handed Sudharsan steadied the ship and the pair kept up the scoring with singles and occasional boundaries against a persistent West Indies spin attack.

Earlier, Justin Greaves with an unbeaten 50 and Jayden Seales (32) put on 79 runs for the final wicket to frustrate India after the West Indies slipped to 311-9 in the second session.

Greaves and the left-handed number 10 defied the bowlers for 133 deliveries with straight-bat shots before Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Seales in the final session for his third wicket.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also took three wickets to add to his five-wicket haul in the West Indies’ first innings.

Campbell (115) and Hope (103) had steered the West Indies into the lead after the tourists resumed the day on 173-2 while following on.

The left-right batting pair put on 177 runs for the third wicket.

Opener Campbell reached his first Test ton with a six off Ravindra Jadeja before the left-arm spinner trapped him lbw in the morning session.

Hope kept up the charge after lunch and reached his first Test hundred in eight years with a boundary off pace bowler Mohammed Siraj.

Siraj had his revenge soon after when the batter dragged his delivery onto his stumps.

Kuldeep then took over to send back wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, trapped lbw for two.

The left-arm wrist spinner then struck twice in three balls including skipper Roston Chase for 40 before Greaves and Seales put on a defiant partnership.

The visitors had waged a fightback after being reduced to 35-2 in their second innings on day three, but the batters made sure the game will go the distance to day five.

India enforced the follow-on after they bowled out the West Indies for 248, a deficit of 270 from the hosts’ first-innings 518-5 declared.

“It may be a good thing to be challenged,” said India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, who defended India’s decision to enforce the follow-on.

“Getting probably 130 overs in already, that’s a good test in the legs. We’re going to get sturdier Tests in the future where you do have to field for a day-and-a-half,” he told reporters.

The gutsy batting of left-handed Campbell and Hope allowed them to build the highest partnership for the West Indies for any wicket in Tests this year.

Campbell became the first West Indian to reach fifty in the two-match series with a four off Kuldeep.

He survived a couple of close lbw calls against off-spinner Washington Sundar early in his innings but went on to dominate the bowling.

Hope reached his fifty off Ravindra Jadeja and raised his bat to an applauding dressing room.

“This is the first time we have been able to win a session in the two Tests. It’s all about application,” West Indies spinner Khary Pierre told reporters.

“The wicket is going to deteriorate more so the more runs we could pile on, it could be a challenge for the Indian batsmen,” he said.

The hosts won the first Test, in Ahmedabad, by an innings and 140 runs.