The third day of the second Test has been one of the most frustrating for the Indian team. West Indies batters troubled Indian bowlers with their resistance. However, the hosts lost four wickets and are still trailing India by 209 runs. On Day 3, ace India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin produced an amazing delivery to dismiss West Indies skipper Kraig Braithwaite.
Ashwin (30-10-57-1) got deliveries that had flight and required inward drift, forcing Brathwaite to use his front foot for his defensive approach. But, to his horror, the ball swiftly spun an off-spinners fantasy delivery that sailed between bat and pad to hit the stumps. Brathwaite was a compact defensive player whose only flaw was moving his bat forward of his pad, allowing the ball to fully exploit the gap.
Here is Ashwin’s magic ball:
What a dream delivery by Ravi Ashwin!
A peach to remove Kraigg Brathwaite. pic.twitter.com/JPsuQWp1Eq
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 22, 2023
Notably, this delivery broke an ultra-defensive partnership between West Indies batters. It’s worth noting that Braithwaite scored a well-made half-century as he scored 75 runs off 235 balls with the help of five fours and a six. Apart from him, T. Chandrapaul and Krik McKnezie also got a comfortable start but failed to convert it into a big score.
Will India exploit the Windes’ batting line-up?
On Day 4, India will come with the aim of bowling out the hosts as soon as possible. They will look to their pacers to do the work with the second new ball. India took the new ball late, and it can help Indian bowlers in the morning session. Notably, India needs five more wickets, while the West Indies need nine more runs to avoid follow-on. It’s worth noting that the fourth day of the Test will have an early start. It is due to the overs lost on Day 3.
For the West Indies, batters Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder are trying to build a partnership. They would look to survive the morning session to get close to India’s target. Athanaze has scored 37 runs off 111 balls with the help of three fours, while Holder has scored 11 runs off 39 balls with the help of a four.
