On the fourth day of the second and final Test, Ravichandran Ashwin’s brilliant bowling fetched two crucial wickets for India, but the West Indies displayed resilience, reaching 76 for two while chasing a daunting target of 365.

Amidst intermittent showers at Queen’s Park Oval, Mohammed Siraj dismantled the lower order of the West Indies in the morning, granting India a lead of 183 runs in the first innings.

India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, and wicketkeeper-batsman, Ishan Kishan, then accelerated the scoring with impressive half-centuries, leading to a swift declaration of the second innings at 181 for two in just 24 overs.

Ashwin, who had been the tormentor of the West Indies in the first Test with an outstanding 11-wicket performance, continued his dominance by dismissing West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite through a top-edged sweep and then removing debutant Kirk McKenzie lbw without any runs scored.

Yet, the determined Tagenarine Chanderpaul, very much resembling his celebrated father Shivnarine, remained at the crease, forming a partnership with vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood until the close of play.

The West Indies face a formidable target of 289 runs on the final day, and it seems like a daunting challenge, given the experience, competence, and confidence of the Indian team striving for a 2-0 series sweep, marking the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle.

In humid conditions earlier in the day, Siraj’s exceptional performance saw him claim his best Test figures of five for 60, causing the West Indies to collapse from an overnight score of 229 for five to 255 all out, with the last five wickets falling for just 26 runs.

Sharma set the pace for India with a rapid 35-ball 50 before lunch, eventually scoring 57, while his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, played a similarly attacking innings with 38 runs in the three overs bowled during the afternoon session.

Following Jaiswal’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan showcased his natural flair, remaining unbeaten on 52 off just 34 balls, including four fours and two sixes, marking his maiden Test half-century.

Looking ahead, Kishan emphasized the importance of execution on the final day and credited Virat Kohli’s support for allowing him to play his natural game. The Indian team is eager to demonstrate the result of their preparation for this series.

In the West Indies’ second innings, debutant pacer Mukesh Kumar was given a chance to share the new ball with Siraj after his pivotal wicket in the first over of the day. However, the opening pair of Brathwaite and Chanderpaul handled the challenge without significant trouble. It was Ashwin’s cunning bowling in the 18th over that eventually broke the partnership, marking the fourth time in four innings that he dismissed West Indies captain Brathwaite.