Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan’s fifties, and Mohammad Siraj’s fifer helped India set a target of 365 for West Indies on Day 4 of the second Test at Port of Spain here on Sunday.
At stumps, West Indies were 76/2 with Tagernaraine Chanderpaul and Jermaine Blackwood batting on 24 and 20, respectively.
The hosts needed 289 runs on the last day of the match with eight wickets in hand.
West Indies were bowled out for 255 runs, losing five wickets for just 26 runs in the first session with Siraj ending with figures of 5/60 by getting movement both ways.
Debutant pacer Mukesh Kumar picked the first wicket of the day by trapping Alick Athanaze plumb in front for 37 off 115 balls.
Siraj removed Jason Holder and Kemar Roach, who nicked Kishan behind the stumps for 15 and 4, respectively. Both Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel were trapped plumb in front for 4 and 0, respectively.
Siraj’s histrionics helped India to take 183 runs lead, and Rohit (57 off 44 balls, with 5 boundaries and 3 sixes) further swelled the lead to 364 runs by cracking a 35-ball fifty, his fastest in Test cricket, and third successive half-century of the series.
Yashashvi Jaiswal made 38 off 30 balls with four boundaries and a six, giving a valuable support to skipper Rohit who made runs quickly with a desire to set up a challenging run chase for the hosts to clinch a whitewash.
In this endeavour, Rohit was dropped twice enroute to his fifty before Joseph took the catch at fine leg after getting to his landmark.
Jaiswal lost his wicket trying to hit Jomel Warrican, giving a simple catch to Joshua Da Silva in the second session, which was marred by a delayed start due to rains.
Rain stopped play once again before the final session started, but a good sunshine later allowed play to continue.
In this period, Shubman Gill and Kishan who was promoted to No.4 stitched up 79 off 68 balls with the wicketkeeper-batsman hauling up his first Test fifty with back-to-back sixes, before India declared setting up a teasing chase of 365.
West Indies’ openers batted steadily against Indian pacers, but Ravichandra Ashwin’s introduction changed the dimension, who was flighting the ball and bowling fuller lengths.
Ashwin had skipper Kraigg Brathwaite trapped leg before only for it to be overturned by DRS. But he had him pretty soon after he chipped a catch to Jaydev Unadkat at short fine leg.
Ashwin also trapped debutant Kirk McKenzie for a duck.
Brief scores: India 438 & 181/2 d (Rohit Sharma 57, Ishan Kishan 52*) lead West Indies 255 all out (Kraigg Brathwaite 75, Alick Athanaze 37; Mohammad Siraj 5/60) & 76/2 (R Ashwin 2-33) by 289 runs.
