Antigua: After their batsmen, including skipper Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Shikhar Dhawan had put India in the driver’s seat by posting 566/8, the blowers, especially the pacers, too, came in for party and bowled their heart out to wrap up the West Indies first innings at just 243 and force them for a follow on.
Mohammad Shami, who was making a comeback into the Indian Test squad after a gap of over one year, was the pick of the bowlers and took 4/66 in his 20 overs spell. Umesh Yadav took struck with his pace and bounce and scalped four wickets, giving out 41 runs in 18 overs. Amit Mishra was the only successful spinner as he took two wickets, while R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma went wicketless in the first innings.
However, Ishant gave India an early breakthrough after West Indies came in to bat for the second innings. Sharma struck in the very first over as his late swing caught Brathwaite unawares and hit his pad in front of middle. At the end of third day’s play, the hosts were trailing India by 302 runs with nine wickets in hand.
“We had batted on this wicket and knew that it was a slow wicket. The plan was to bowl at a consistent spot for long periods of time and that is why we were successful,” Shami told BCCI.TV at the end of the third day’s play. “On slow wickets, the batsmen don’t expect the short ball. So, that was our plan to bowl the short delivery as it would fetch us wickets,” he added.