Bumrah masterclass blows the Windies away, again

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Bumrah masterclass blows the Windies away, again

31 Aug 2019 122 Views Yash Mittal

Maiden Test ton by Vihari, half-century by Ishant followed by a bowling masterclass by Jasprit Bumrah helped India get to a commanding position at the close of day 02.

 

Here's what happened-

 

Morning Session: Holder strikes early but Vihari holds the fort for India

Status: Shared

West Indies got off to the best start courtesy a beautiful inswinger from Captain Holder; one that went on to shatter the fragile defense of Rishabh Pant to give the hosts their sixth wicket. Holder continued to test the Indian batters with his relentless accuracy but Vihari and Jadeja survived the threat with the former getting to his second consecutive half-century.

The West Indies were very disciplined in their line and lengths but a combination of bad luck and dogged resistance from Vihari and Jadeja, who, as he had done for the past couple of years dug in deep, helping the score nudge past the 300-run mark. But just as the partnership was starting to gain substance, Jadeja's patient innings came to a rather tame end, when in an attempt to slog-sweep Cornwall, the left-hander ended up top-edging it straight down Darren Bravo's throat.

ishant sharma

ImageSource@BCCI

With Ishant and the tail left, Vihari launched a counter-attack on Cornwall smoking him for three boundaries in an over. The right-hander had his fair share of luck; a reward for his hard work, his doggedness when he survived a close LBW call against Holder (Yup! That guy again), one that was overturned on the review where ot was evident that the ball was going over the stumps. The right-hander (84*) went to Lunch with a maiden Test ton insight and the team score reading: 7-336.

 

Afternoon Session: Ishant's fifty and Vihari's ton guides India to 416

Status: Won by India

While the spotlight was on Hanuma Vihari as to whether the right-hander will get to his maiden Test ton, Ishant Sharma decided to hog some of it himself. The right-hander played some delightful strokes-none better than the cover-drive off Holder- post Lunch as the partnership raced to the 50-run mark.

Hanuma Vihari

ImageSource@BCCI

The fast bowler looked at his best while sweeping against the spin of Chase and Cornwall, stroking some delightful boundaries as he nudged towards his maiden Test fifty. But the moment, amidst all the Ishant mayhem- that we all had been waiting for, finally arrived in the 133rd over when a nudge towards the on-side made Hanuma Vihari the 85th Indian to score a Test hundred.

Hanuma Vihari

ImageSource@BCCI

After Vihari, it was the turn of Ishant Sharma to reach his maiden half-century. Kraig Brathwaite finally broke the 112-run stand with the wicket of Ishant and post that, Windies didn't take long to wrap up the inning with skipper Holder signing off with a five-wicket haul which also turned out to be his 100th Test wicket; the fastest West Indian to complete a double of 100 wickets + 1000 runs (39 Tests). India 416 all out.

 

Tea Session: Bumrah's hat trick blows Windies away

Bumrah's hat trick

ImageSource@BCCI


Status: Won by India

The Windies openers faced a stern test of fast bowling by Bumrah and Ishant, playing and missing a million times and it was only a matter of time before one of them nicked one. It happened as soon as Bumrah came from end Ishant was initially bowling and accounted for Campbell with a jaffa; one that swung away sharply to take Campbell's outside edge with Pant taking a brilliant catch in front of first slip.

But Bumrah wasn't done yet. In fact, he was just getting started as the right-hander became just the second Indian fast bowler to take a hattrick. His first victim- Darren Bravo was squared up by a bowl that was swinging away, giving the batter no chance but to play it, offering a simple catch to slips. Sharman Brooks played across the line to a booming inswinger and was trapped in front of the stumps. And then came that historic wicket via another vicious inswinger that struck Chase in front of the middle stump. Kohli decided to review even as Bumrah seemed reluctant. The review showed three reds making Bumrah only the third Indian bowler to take a Test match hattrick.

Bumrah's hat trick

ImageSource@BCCI

And, the fifth one did not take much time either. This time Brathwaite was the casualty as the opener was sucked in to play the drive outside off-stump, only for Pant to take a flying catch. WI 5-18. The Windies got a bit of breather following Bumrah's brief exit from the field courtesy a cramp. Shimron Hetmayer rode his luck after having been dropped by Kohli off Shami, taking the score past 50. But Shami's persistence and Hetmayer's baptism with fire finally came to an end when the latter played all around the fullish inswinger. WO 6-67.

And, then the Holder's brain fade moment! The Windies in an attempt to unsettle India's best went for an ugly hoike, giving Bumrah his 6th wicket. Rahkeem Cornwall and Hamilton survived the final few overs ensuring the Windies went to Stumps still seven down.

 

Moment/Player of the day- Jasprit Bumrah (9.1-1-16-6)

Bumrah's hat trick

ImageSource@BCCI

You've got to do something out of the ordinary to get into this category on a day when a batsman had just scored his maiden Test hundred. Which is exactly what Jasprit Bumrah did at Kingston.

Inswingers. Outswingers. LBW. Bowled. Caught-behind. Caught at slips. In one word, Jasprit Bumrah was death-defying today. It was a masterclass of the highest order' one you can rewind and watch on loop and still not get over it. In what should rank as one of the great fast-bowling spells of all times, Bumrah bamboozled the Windies top-order yet again and became only the second Indian fast bowler and third overall to grab a hattrick.

 

What to expect from Day 03?

With the West Indies seven down and a million runs away from India's target, it will be interesting to see whether Kohli enforces the follow-on if the tourists bowl the Windies out first-up in the morning.

 

Brief Score-

India (416, Hanuma Vihari 111, Virat Kohli 76, Ishant 57, Holder 5-77 ) lead West Indies (7-87, Hetmyer 34, Bumrah 6-16) by 329 runs

Yash Mittal

Bharat Army Cricket Writer

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