Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra said India could have refrained from enforcing the follow on in the ongoing second Test match against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. The visitors were bowled out for 248 runs in the first innings and thus India had a lead of 270 runs.
However, West Indies came back strongly in their second innings as they ended the third day’s play at 173-2 with Shai Hope and John Campbell batting unbeaten on 66 and 87 respectively.
At lunch on day four, West Indies were 252-3 with Hope nearing his first hundred in eight years. The tourists are trailing by only 18 runs.
Meanwhile, India decided to declare at 518-5 and Chopra reckons the home team could have batted a tad longer than they did.
Aakash Chopra said on ESPN Cricinfo, “I was in two minds. That’s a call that has to be taken on the basis of what the pitch is doing and how tired the bowlers are. To be fair, India playing five proper bowlers, with Nitish Reddy as an option, they might have felt that everybody has got enough gas in the tank.
“I think the declaration was a little too soon. Also, India could have batted and allowed the pitch to deteriorate a little further and then could have wrapped up things quite easily,” the 48-year-old added.
The renowned commentator noted that the Indian bowlers looked a bit tired after they could only manage two wickets in the West Indies’ second innings on the third day’s play.
Chopra concluded, “Tiredness towards the end was something that stood out. India declared when all of us where thinking that they might bat for a little longer. They had to bowl a lot on Day 2 and entire Day 3. It is hard work on a surface which is not spin-ready, which is made of black clay and not red soil. There is less bounce, pace and sideways movement. Eventually you felt Kuldeep Yadav was dropping the ball a bit short.”
West Indies batters have shown resistance in the second essay and they deserve credit for the same.
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