(ESPN) -When India wrapped up West Indies‘ first innings and secured a lead of 270 runs, seven-and-a-half sessions of the Delhi Test still remained.
The pitch was still making bowlers work hard: West Indies, after lasting less than 50 overs in both their innings in Ahmedabad last week, had survived 81.5 overs in their first innings here. Their last two wickets had added 73 runs, suggesting that wicket-taking on this slow, low pitch was particularly difficult when the ball became older, with edges unlikely to carry to close-in catchers.
Teams tend not to enforce the follow-on in such situations, given the time remaining in the match and the two major benefits of batting again – rest for the bowlers, and a chance for them to come back and bowl after the pitch has undergone more wear and tear.
India, however, asked West Indies to bat again, and by stumps on day three the visitors had enjoyed their best day of the series, with John Campbell and Shai Hope scoring half-centuries and putting on an unbroken 138 for the third wicket. West Indies will begin day four trailing by just 97 runs, with India back on the field with 130.5 cumulative overs in their legs.
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said India had enforced the follow-on in the belief that the pitch would deteriorate significantly by the end of the third day’s play.
“There was a discussion to bat,” he said. “Those last two wickets took a little bit longer than we would have hoped for, and had probably started going towards the [space] where you do look to bat again.
“But we felt [270] was a good lead. We thought the wicket’s going to keep deteriorating, we thought by close of play it would be at its worst, but it just seems to have slowed down even more.”
“Actually it was a bit surprising that they went back to bowl [even though] the wicket was still a good one.”Khary Pierre
This left India’s spin trio with a tricky time of finding the right pace to bowl at. Having shared eight wickets between them in the first innings, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar took 1 for 149 between them in 38 second-innings overs.
“It’s quite challenging to get any pace out of the wicket, [and] you have to really fire the ball in,” ten Doeschate said. “And, of course, when you fire the ball in, it’s got less chance of spinning. We have found it tricky this afternoon, and Shai Hope and John Campbell batted beautifully, so back tomorrow, get our plans right, and hopefully get those last four batters out and then get into the tail.”
Khary Pierre, who scored 23 from No. 8 in West Indies’ first innings, said he was surprised by India’s decision to enforce the follow-on.
“Actually it was a bit surprising that they went back to bowl [even though] the wicket was still a good one,” Pierre said. “For me, personally, batting on the wicket, batting a lot of time, and watching the wicket, seeing what it was doing, I think it’s still a very good wicket.
“I was surprised, but it’s India, and you know they want to get the win, and probably didn’t think they needed to go back and bat, but so be it. We have to bat properly in this innings and try and make a game of it.”
With eight wickets in hand and the deficit now down to double-figures, Pierre felt West Indies had a real chance of making a game of it.
“I would say the Test match is still on,” he said. “Once we apply ourselves with the bat, we have two set batters at the crease right now that will start over tomorrow, and once we bat properly, the game is still on. Once we get a lead, we all know, on the fourth and fifth day of a Test match, the bowlers will come and probably get some balls to spin and stuff and make a game of it.”
