New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar took a scalp each as India continued to be dominant in the second and final Test by reducing the West Indies to 35/2 in 14.3 overs of their second innings at tea on day three at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

After enforcing the follow-on on the visitors with a commanding 270-run lead, thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s 5-82 bowling them out for 248 in the first innings, India continuing to get more breakthroughs has meant that they are still leading by 235 runs and will be searching for more scalps in the final session to wrap up a 2-0 series victory.

With the follow on enforced, John Campbell began West Indies’ second essay with two boundaries off Ravindra Jadeja, before Siraj drew first blood with a well-directed cross-seam short ball that cramped Tagenarine Chanderpaul for room on a pull, and skipper Shubman Gill ran from mid-wicket to mid-on to complete a stunning catch.

Though Campbell continued to get boundaries off Jadeja, Sundar produced a moment of magic by deceiving Alick Athanaze with a rip-roaring off-break which drifted in and went past the outside edge to hit the off-stump at the stroke of tea, as West Indies’ struggle to stitch meaningful partnerships came back to haunt them again.

Previously, Kuldeep, in supreme control with his guile, variations and drift, turned the tide for India in the morning session with a decisive burst removing Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach and Justin Graves in quick succession.

A late ninth-wicket stand worth 46 runs between Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip offered brief resistance, but Jasprit Bumrah struck immediately after lunch with a peach to send the former’s off-stump on a cartwheel ride. The final wicket partnership of 27 runs tested India’s patience, with Phillip defending stoutly and Jayden Seales counter-attacking against Kuldeep.

But Seales eventually fell lbw to a well-disguised googly from Kuldeep, beating his inside edge and trapping him lbw. This gave him his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests, through a spell of 26.5 overs and sealed India’s big lead as well as enforce the follow-on to push West Indies further on backfoot at tea interval.

Brief Scores: India 518/5 in 134.2 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 175; Jomel Warrican 3-98) lead West Indies 248 in 81.5 overs (Alick Athanaze 41, Shai Hope 36; Kuldeep Yadav 5-82, Ravindra Jadeja 3-46) and 35/2 in 14.3 overs (John Campbell 18 not out, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 10; Washington Sundar 1-2, Mohammed Siraj 1-10) by 235 runs

–IANS

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