Kolkata, India, CMC – Despite a brilliant hundred from the talented Darren Bravo and a determined half-century by Marlon Samuels, West Indies lost the second Test by an innings and 15 runs with a day and a session to spare as India took a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Always under pressure to avoid defeat after starting the fourth day’s play on 195 for three – still 283 runs in arrears – West Indies batted solidly in the first session to raise hopes of stretching the match into the final day.
But after reaching 339 for four at lunch by which time left-hander Bravo had completed his second Test century, West Indies fell away. The dismissal of Bravo for 136 after a century partnership with Samuels, who made 84, led to a collapse. The last six wickets tumbled for 62 runs and they were all out for 463 – their highest score following-on – shortly before tea.
Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, in his second Test, was the leading wicket-taker with four for 80 off 17.3 overs for a match haul of seven for 103.
The innings win was only the second for India against West Indies. The other one came in Mumbai in 2002.
Bravo’s century was special. After 12 Tests, his stats of 941 runs (average: 47.05) are exactly the same as his mentor and cousin, the great Brian Lara’s numbers after 12 matches.
The 22-year-old Bravo resumed on 38 with veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 21. The pair carried their fourth wicket partnership to 108 before Chanderpaul chopped Yadav into his stumps, having made 47 with six boundaries.
There was one very anxious moment for Bravo in the pre-lunch session when he pushed towards mid-off and set off immediately as Chanderpaul remained grounded. Bravo had reached virtually in Chanderpaul’s face but Gautam Gambhir’s throw to the ‘keeper’s end was wide and weak, allowing Bravo to regain his ground.
Both Bravo and Samuels, who was under pressure to produce a significant score, played attractively. By lunch, West Indies had moved to 339 for four with Bravo on 117 and Samuels 31. Bravo’s century came off 181 balls and included ten fours and four sixes.
The partnership was broken when left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha had Bravo snapped up low at slip to his right by Rahul Dravid as he opened the face of the bat to one which did not turn as much as he expected.
All told Bravo was at the crease for 321 minutes, faced 230 balls and struck 16 fours and four sixes. His partnership with Samuels was worth 132.
Six overs later, wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh’s tough time with the bat in the series continued as he provided Dravid with another slip catch, diving full length and low to his right off Ojha after scoring just three.
Samuels fell in the next over from rookie off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Opting to play back to a quick delivery, he was plumb leg before wicket after striking 13 boundaries and one six in his 111-ball knock which came in 136 minutes. He had reached his fifty off 57 balls with ten boundaries
Ashwin soon comprehensively bowled Kemar Roach for one before skipper Darren Sammy and fast bowler Fidel Edwards opted to attack.
Yadav then wrapped up the match in successive balls, bowling Sammy for 32 which came off 28 balls and included three sixes and one four, and also hitting the stumps of Devendra Bishoo to leave Fidel Edwards unbeaten on 15.
India’s series win was their third against West Indies at home after their 1-0 win in 1978 and 2-0 win in 2002.
West Indies’ defeat was their 11th in Tests since 2000. In contrast, between 1980 and 1995, they suffered just two innings defeats. And the 463 was their highest second-innings total against India, going past the 443 for seven scored in Kanpur in 1958. On that occasion, West Indies won by 203 runs.
The final Test in Mumbai starts November 22.
Scoreboard
INDIA 1st Innings 631 for seven decl. (VVS Laxman 176, MS Dhoni 144, Rahul Dravid 119)
WEST INDIES 1st Innings 153
WEST INDIES 2nd innings (following on)
(overnight 195 for three)
A Barath c Laxman b Sharma 62
K Brathwaite c wkp Dhoni b Yadav 9
K Edwards lbw b Sharma 60
D Bravo c Dravid b Ojha 136
S Chanderpaul b Yadav 4
*D Sammy b Yadav 32
K Roach b Ashwin 1
F Edwards not out 15
D Bishoo b Yadav 0
Extras (b9, lb4, w1) 14
TOTAL (all out; 126.3 overs) 463
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Brathwaite), 2-116 (Barath), 3-161 (K Edwards), 4-269 (Chanderpaul), 5-401 (Bravo), 6-411 (Baugh), 7-417 (Samuels), 8-421 (Roach), 9-463 (Sammy), 10-463 (Bishoo)
Bowling: Yadav 17.3-1-80-4, Sharma 25-4-95-2, Ojha 32-5-104-2, Ashwin 40-4-137-2, Yuvraj Singh 3-0-14-0, Sehwag 9-2-20-0.
Result: India won by an innings and 15 runs.
Series: India lead three-match series 2-0.
Man-of-the-Match: VVS Laxman.
Umpires: B Oxenford, R Tucker; TV – S Ravi.
