Tea India 438 and 118 for 2 (Rohit 57, Gill 10*, Kishan 8* Gabriel 1-11) lead West Indies 255 (Brathwaite 75, Siraj 5-60, Mukesh 2-48) by 301 runs
India needed less than eight overs – and less than an hour – on the fourth morning to dismiss West Indies for 255 from an overnight 229 for 5. Siraj, the leader of India’s inexperienced pace attack, lived up to his billing and returned career-best figures of 5 for 60 in challenging conditions.
In the next over, Siraj went wide of the crease, tricked Jason Holder into playing for the inward angle, but got the ball to swing away and kiss the edge. Siraj proceeded to snip off the tail with his wobble-seam inducker and outswinger. He led India’s players off the field and was warmly welcomed back by bowling coach Paras Mhambrey.
Rohit and Jaiswal then switched into T20 mode and regularly hit the ball over the top. In the first over of India’s second innings, Jaiswal jumped out of the crease and dispatched Kemar Roach over extra-cover for six. Then, in Roach’s next over, Rohit lofted him over the midwicket boundary with a bigger swing.
Rohit made West Indies pay on Sunday, shellacking a 35-ball half-century – his fastest in Test cricket. However, just before the rain arrived, he was caught at fine leg, where Alzarri Joseph didn’t mess it up.
Jaiswal then helped India reach 100 off 12.2 overs – the fastest team hundred (where known). When Jaiswal tried to up the ante even further, he ended up skying a slog-sweep to the wicketkeeper off Jomel Warrican for 38 off 30 balls. Wet weather allowed only three overs in the afternoon session. The forecast for Monday in Port-of-Spain is also grim.