Kuldeep Yadav’s artistry flattens West Indies, but John Campbell-Shai Hope’s rescue stand delays India’s attack | Cricket News

John Campbell’s unbeaten 87 and Shai Hope’s 66 helped West Indies mount a strong resistance against India on the third day of the second Test in New Delhi on Saturday. After being forced to follow on, the duo’s unbroken 138-run partnership helped West Indies reach 173 for two at stumps, although they still trailed by 97 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Earlier in the day, Kuldeep Yadav took his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, taking 5/82 to help bundle West Indies out for 248 in their first innings. The visitors started the day at 140 for 4.

The half-centuries of Campbell and Hope marked more than fifty scores made by West Indies batsmen in this series so far. Although India’s victory seemed inevitable, their counter-attacking partnership provided some confidence ahead of West Indies’ upcoming tour of New Zealand.The day began with Kuldeep producing a spectacular delivery to dismiss Hope for 36 in the first innings. The spinner adjusted the angle of his bowling arm and bowled a faster ball with a drift that beat Hope’s outside edge to hit the off stump.After Hope’s dismissal, West Indies’ first innings moved quickly. Tevin Imlach was trapped front leg for 21, while Justin Greaves fell for 17 reverse sweep attempts.Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah helped clear the tail, although Kharry Pierre (23) and Anderson Phillip (24) provided some resistance with a 46-run partnership for the ninth wicket.After being asked to chase, West Indies initially struggled, reaching 35 for 2 at tea. However, Campbell changed tactics afterwards, taking an aggressive approach against the spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep.The pitch, although remaining low at times, did not exhibit significant deterioration, making batting manageable. Hope gained confidence from Campbell’s attacking play, and both batsmen handled the Indian spinners effectively.Indian captain Shubman Gil was forced to implement an “input-output” field setting as the limits elapsed. Kuldeep’s defensive placement on the field, including deep long extra cover and deep square leg, reflected a change from his dominance in the first innings.The surface offered little help to the spinners, who had to rely more on shoulder power to generate the zip. After bowling 81.5 overs, fatigue became evident in their performance.Hope hit eight fours and two sixes during his innings, while Campbell hit nine boundaries and two sixes. Their performance gave head coach Darren Sammy hope that some players can still perform purposefully at this level.The West Indies batsmen played confidently on the back foot against the spinners. This improved display from the batters in their second innings suggests potential for better performances in future matches.Kuldeep’s five-wicket haul in the first innings came in his 15th Test match, maintaining an impressive record of a five-wicket haul every three matches, challenging perceptions of him as a mere conditions-dependent bowler.In the first innings, Hope and Imlach had initially handled Bumrah comfortably and scored a few boundaries against Kuldeep. However, after Hope was dismissed following Kuldeep’s brilliant performance, West Indies lost four wickets in seven overs, collapsing to 175 for 8.