India vs West Indies 2018, Second Test: 5 things that you may have missed in the match
It was a day of disappointment for Cricket fans in general when Windies couldn't repeat their fight with the bat in the second Innings. India once again crushed Windies with a comfortable 10 wicket victory. It all began with the return of Skipper Jason Holder for the Second Test, the side looked more balanced. Windies won the toss and decided to bat first on a lifeless wicket. The top order couldn't make the most of the friendly batting conditions on offer. At 113/5 things looked very dull for the visitors, but they managed to post 311 on the board- courtesy fighting innings from Roston Chase and Skipper Holder. Roston chase scored his 2nd Test century against India.
In reply, India started well scoring freely and youngster Prithvi Shaw was at his absolute best once again. KL Rahul cut a sorry figure for himself. But with the healthy contributions from Skipper Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant India managed to gain a handy lead of 56. The visitors were mighty impressed with the ball, especially Holder leading from the front. He grabbed a five-wicket haul to suppress the Indian innings to a below-par total.
Sadly Windies couldn't repeat their batting effort in second innings. They never seemed to apply themselves to put the pressure back on Indians. Umesh Yadav, Ravi Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja managed to destroy Windies batting line up. The visitors only managed to score 127 runs, setting a target of 72 for the hosts. Indian victory was imminent, but the only question was how fast? Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul didn't disappoint as they chased the target comfortably within 17 overs.
Here are the 5 things you may have missed from the Second Test match:
#1 Jason Holder became the second Windies player to score a 50 and take a 5 wicket haul in India
In Test cricket, a bowler not only has to be a wicket-taker but also needs to assert control from one end. Jason Holder is one such bowler who brings both aspects into the game. When he doesn't get wickets he controls the innings from one end with tight lines and helps his partner to capitalize.
When Windies were reeling at 182/6 in their first innings, Holder and Chase together stitched a valuable partnership to take windies to safe score. Holder scored a well compiled 52 in the process. With the ball, he not only made his presence felt in the match but also his absence in the last match. He wrecked havoc on Day 3 to grab a 5 wicket haul to restrict India to under par total. As a result, he became only second Windies player after Malcolm Marshall to take a 5-for along with a half-century in the same match in India.