Under Shubman Gill’s leadership, India faced a testing third day in the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with the visitors showing fight after being asked to follow on.
The pitch in Delhi has continued to slow down, forcing spinners to adapt as West Indies batters John Campbell and Shai Hope batted effectively. Their unbeaten partnership ensured the visitors ended the day trailing by 97 runs, leaving India with a challenging fourth day ahead.
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Ryan ten Doeschate explains why India enforced follow-on in IND vs WI 2nd Test
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate offered insight into India's follow-on call, citing the wicket's expected deterioration as a key factor.
"We thought the wicket was going to keep deteriorating and by close of play it would be at its worst. It just seems to have slowed down even more. It's quite challenging to get any pace up," Ten Doeschate said after Day 3.
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He noted that spinners like Ravindra Jadeja would need extra effort to generate bounce and spin, given the slowing surface. He also discussed the tactical challenge for India's spinners in these conditions.
"Like I said, you have to really fire the ball in. Of course, when you fire the ball in, it's got less chance of spinning. So, we have had a tricky afternoon. Monitoring speed is probably the one thing you can play with. Every time Washy (Washington) bowled a little slower, you get a little more turn. Obviously, the batter has more time. It's about striking the batter and using pace changes to force a mistake," he said.
He added that patience is crucial, especially as Campbell and Hope have handled sweeping shots well, requiring careful tactical planning.
After losing two wickets before lunch, Campbell (87*) and Hope (66*) steadied the innings and batted through the final session. Their stand shifted momentum slightly in West Indies' favour.
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