Kingston (Jamaica), India swept West Indies under the carpet over two Tests and won the second rubber by 257 runs to complete a 2-0 whitewash with astounding ease on Day 4 at the Sabina Park here on Monday.
In-form India batsmen Ajinkya Rahane (64*) and Hanuma Vihari (53*) struck unbeaten half centuries to set an improbable 468-run target for the hosts, and in the second innings Ravindra Jadeja (3/58) and Mohammed Shami 3/65) took three wickets each to bowl them out for 210 in 59.5 overs.
In the first innings, India had put up 416 riding Hanuma Vihari’s maiden hundred (111) and skipper Virat Kohli’s 76. Pacer Ishant Sharma (57) had also scored his first fifty.
In reply, West Indies were no match to Jasprit Bumrah’s onslaught as the world-class pacer returned magical figures of 6/27 which included a hattrick as he became only the third Indian bowler to get the treble in Test cricket after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan.
With a 299-run lead, India decided not to enforce follow on and batted instead.
The Windies were never likely to gun the daunting target down and in their second essay, only overnight batsman Shamarh Brooks managed a 50 off 119 balls before Kohli had him run out.
Fellow overnight batter Darren Bravo had to go off the field as he was feeling unwell just three overs into the day’s play. He was retired hurt on 23. Initially, Roston Chase came in to bat but later Bravo was replaced by Jermaine Blackwood as concussion substitute as he was unbeaten on 33 at lunch.
Bravo had copped a blow to the side of his helmet from a Bumrah bouncer in the last over on Day 3. Blackwood was originally not a part of the West Indies squad for the second Test, but with the ICC regulations allowing a like-for-like replacement, he was called into action.
It was a unique case where 12 men batted in a Test innings with Chase being trapped in front by Ravindra Jadeja for 12. Shimron Hetmyer did not last long, Ishant Sharma having him caught at extra cover by Mayank Agarwal as the Windies slumped to 98/4 before Brooks and Blackwood joined hands for a 61-run stand.
After lunch, Bumrah got rid of Blackwood to pick up his only wicket in this innings. From there on, it was only a matter of time despite skipper Jason Holder scoring 39 before Jadeja castled him to cap off the marauding victory.
Brief scores: India (1st innings): 416 all out (Hanuma Vihari 111, Virat Kohli 76; Jason Holder 5/77); West Indies (1st innings): 117 all out (Shimron Hetmyer 34, Jasprit Bumrah 6/27); India (2nd innings): 168/4 (Ajinkya Rahane 64 not out, Hanuma Vihari 53 nor out), West Indies (2nd innings): 210 all out (Shamarh Brooks 50, Ravindra Jadeja 3/58, Mohammed Shami 3/65).
