New Delhi: Ravindra Jadeja dismissed John Campbell as West Indies reached 26/1 in 11 overs at Tea on Day 2 of the second and final Test here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
West Indies are trailing India by 492 runs after the hosts declared their first innings at 518/5, with skipper Shubman Gill remaining unbeaten on 129, his tenth century in the format and fifth of this year in red-ball cricket, as he continued his prolific form in 2025.
After India’s declaration, the West Indies showed early signs of composure. Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul navigated Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj’s early swing and low bounce with restraint, as the ball began to settle under the afternoon sun. Campbell looked promising in scoring two boundaries off Siraj and Jadeja via a leaning drive and a deft paddle sweep, respectively.
But he was dismissed bizarrely for eight, courtesy of a sharp take by B Sai Sudharsan at forward short leg— the ball coming off a sweep hit Sudharsan’s helmet and ensured it didn’t escape from his hands. Although Sudharsan had to leave the field to get his hand treated, Chanderpaul (13 not out) and Alick Athanaze (two not out) weathered a probing spell and prevented any further damage before the tea interval.
With 32 overs remaining in the day, West Indies will need to forge partnerships to stay afloat against India’s formidable bowling attack. Previously, Gill, who started his day on 20, played an array of elegant strokes, hitting 16 fours and two sixes in a composed yet commanding unbeaten 129 – his first Test century as India’s captain at home.
His innings gained momentum after lunch, as he and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel scored quickly to build a 102-run stand for the fifth wicket. Gill reached his century in 177 balls with a sharp three off Khary Pierre and raised his bat to acknowledge a lively weekend crowd of 15,700 in New Delhi.
Jurel impressed with his leg-side play and quick reading of length, including surviving a caught-out chance on 39 before being bowled for 44 on a delivery from Roston Chase that stayed low.
Gill, having shifted gears post reaching his century with a six off Chase and a flurry of sweeps and cuts, opted to declare India’s innings immediately after Jurel’s dismissal and set the stage for a probing examination of West Indies’ batting depth. At present, the West Indies are significantly behind, and it will be interesting to see if they put up a fight in the final session.
Brief Scores: India 518/5 in 134.2 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 175, Shubman Gill 129 not out; Jomel Warrican 3-98, Roston Chase 1-83) lead West Indies 26/1 in 11 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 13 not out; Ravindra Jadeja 1-5) by 492 runs
(IANS)
