Rahul hits half-century as India defeat West Indies to sweep Test series

NEW DELHI (Agencies): Opener KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 58 as India beat the West Indies by seven wickets in the second Test to sweep the series 2-0 on Tuesday. Chasing 121 for victory, India resumed on 63-1 and reached their target in the first session after losing two wickets on day five at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. West Indies skipper Roston Chase struck twice with his off-spin to send back overnight batter Sai Sudharsan for 39 and skipper Shubman Gill for 13. Rahul hit the winning four and India celebrated victory over the visitors, who had launched a spirited fightback while following on. India’s left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned a match haul of eight wickets including 5-82 in the first West Indies innings. Kuldeep claimed 12 wickets in the series followed by pace bowler Mohammed Siraj, who took 10 to be India’s leading wicket-taker this year with 37 wickets in eight matches. India remain a team in transition under 26-year-old Gill, after the retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Gill’s India won the opening Test by an innings and 140 runs, having secured a thrilling 2-2 draw in their five-Test series in England in June-August. With the West Indies missing pace bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, both injured, India’s batsmen flourished. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 175 in India’s mammoth first-innings 518-5 declared. Gill made an unbeaten 129. The West Indies have endured years of decline after the team ruled world cricket. This was a second successive Test whitewash, after they went down to Australia 3-0 at home. There were a few promising signs at least in the second Test. Left-handed opener John Campbell and Shai Hope made 115 and 103 as they put on 177 runs for the third wicket to thwart India’s attack on a slow pitch that had little for the bowlers. India had enforced the follow-on after they bowled out the West Indies for 248, a deficit of 270 from the hosts’ first innings. The visitors sprung into life in their second innings through Campbell and Hope, and then Justin Greaves and number 10 Jayden Seales. Greaves with an unbeaten 50 and Seales (32) put on 79 runs for the final wicket to frustrate India after the West Indies slipped to 311-9 in the second session on day four. That show of defiance forced the Test into the final day and gave the West Indies a glimpse of brighter days ahead.

Brief scores:

India 518 for 5 dec (Jaiswal 175, Gill 129, Sai Sudharsan 87, Warrican 3-98) and 124 for 3 (Rahul 58 not out, Chase 2-36) beat West Indies 248 (Kuldeep 5-82) and 390 (Campbell 115, Hope, 103, Greaves 50 not out, Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep 3-104) by seven wickets.