Washington Sundar sounded more relieved than triumphant on Sunday evening. India had finally winkled out West Indies twice, but only after spending more than 200 consecutive overs under a hot Delhi sun. “It’s quite different in different venues, isn’t it?” he smiled. “This I would say is a typical Delhi wicket, where there’s not much bounce, and obviously there wasn’t a lot of turn on offer in this game.”
Key facts first
• India enforced the follow-on yet still bowled 200-plus overs in a row.
• Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Sundar shared 143.5 of them, claiming 13 wickets.
• John Campbell and Shai Hope resisted with hundreds and a 177-run stand.
• India still head into day five favourites to secure a 2-0 series win.
Why a slower surface?
After a heavy home defeat against England in 2021 India moved from flat tracks to vicious turners. Last year’s 3-0 reverse in New Zealand triggered another rethink: balanced pitches that give first-innings runs before deteriorating. Ahmedabad complied and produced a three-day innings victory; Delhi, so far, has demanded far more graft.
“It’s good to be bowling long spells, and it’s very heartening to have actually taken 20 wickets on a wicket like this,” Sundar said. “All of the bowlers bowled really well, even the fast bowlers bowled their heart out every single spell, so it’s very heartening.”
Patience the only currency
With only gentle grip and variable bounce on offer, India’s slow bowlers fell back on repetition. “On this kind of a wicket you just need to be patient and try and hit those [good] areas more consistently, and that’s the only challenge,” Sundar explained. He sent down 46 overs in the match, Jadeja 53, Kuldeep 44.5. Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar still charged in often enough to keep the ball scuffed and minds busy.
West Indies fight back
Campbell and Hope’s third-wicket partnership, worth 177, forced India into more defensive fields. “Honestly, Campbell and Hope played really well,” Washington said. “They took their chances, and once the field was spread out they were really”. The risk-reward approach – sweeping, skipping down the track, and clipping anything straight – nudged India towards shorter, straighter lines before tea.
Balanced verdict
The flatness of Kotla pitches is hardly new; few inside the camp appear rattled. Sundar views it as part of Test cricket’s charm. “We play in a lot of different conditions, be it home or away, and obviously all those conditions and the opposition challenge our skillsets, and that’s the beauty of this format. We keep going. We try and assess what’s really required in those conditions and really be on top of a game and do something special for the team.”
What next?
India will resume on the final morning needing the remaining West Indies wickets – and some brisk batting – to wrap up the series without undue fuss. The bowlers, meanwhile, have already banked a small moral victory: 20 wickets on a pitch that seemed unwilling to offer even ten.
