IND vs WI 2025-26, 2nd Test, Day 3, Highlights: West Indies show resilience with the bat after follow-on; trail by 97 runs.
Brief Scores: WI 248 (Alick Athanaze 41, Shai Hope 36, Kuldeep Yadav 5/82) & 173/2 (f/o) (John Campbell 87*, Shai Hope 66*, Mohammed Siraj 1/10) trail IND 518/5 dec (Yashasvi Jaiswal 175, Shubman Gill 129*, Jomel Warrican 3/98) by 97 runs at Stumps on Day 3.
Thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s centuries, India posted a huge total of 518 runs in their first innings. West Indies showed better application with the bat during the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. But they needed to continue the same skills for an extended period to find themselves in a strong position in the fixture.
The surface, as Ravindra Jadeja mentioned in the post-match press conference on the second day, wasn’t a rank-turner. In the North End, the nice grass cover had kept the footmarks together. Batting would be secure from that side. However, on the Media End, the cracks started to open for the spinners to use the footmarks.
Talking point: Resilience from WI batters after follow on
Both John Campbell and Shai Hope showed determination in the middle. India enforced the follow-on with an aim to go through their line-up. They smelt exactly that after picking two wickets for 35 runs. But both these two batters played the balls to their merit and maintained the right balance between aggression and defense to tire the home bowlers.
Read More: IND vs WI 2025-26, 2nd Test, Day 2: India in commanding position courtesy Gill’s 129*, Jadeja’s 3-37
Kuldeep Yadav’s three wickets push West Indies to 217/8; trail by 301 runs
For a change, India started with Kuldeep Yadav from the end where Jadeja got three wickets on the second day. The overnight touring batter, Shai Hope, and Tevin Imlach showed good defense for the first 15 minutes, but couldn’t survive much. The former lunged forward to block Yadav as the ball drifted away to break the stumps.
In his second over, the Uttar Pradesh-born wrapped Imlach on the pads. The umpire didn’t have any hesitation in raising his finger. Justin Greaves, after a boundary on the previous ball, launched a reverse sweep. But the flighted leg break missed the bat to find him before the stumps.
After Jomel Warrican’s dismissal, India appeared to finish the innings before the break. But Khary Pierre and Anderson Phillip put up an unbeaten 42-run stand for the eighth wicket. The tourists pushed themselves to 217/8 to reduce the trail to 301 runs.
Kuldeep’s 5/82 bundles out West Indies for 248; India enforce follow-on
The second session started with Jasprit Bumrah’s magical delivery, dismissing Khary Pierre. The southpaw expected the ball to go away, but it held its line to break the stumps. However, the focus was on Kuldeep, who was inching closer to his fifer.
Once India got the second new ball, there was a different energy from the spinner. And he finally achieved the milestone. Jayden Seales got beaten on the inside edge as the ball wrapped him on the pads. The umpire raised his finger instantly. The 30-year-old finished with 5/82 to bundle out the opposition for 248 runs as India enforced the follow-on with a 270-run lead.
Read More: Shubman Gill’s batting has grown leaps & bounds after being appointed India skipper
West Indies reduced to 35/2 at Tea
The opponent’s struggle regarding the opening partnership continued. Tagenarine Chanderpaul wasn’t fully committed to the pull shot against Siraj as Gill grabbed a terrific diving catch. The session ended with a fine delivery from Washington Sundar to break Alick Athanaze’s defense.
John Campbell and Shai Hope’s unbeaten 138-run stand push them to 173/2; trail by 97 runs
After the break, both John Campbell and Hope came with an attacking mindset. The former fetched Kuldeep around the park to break his rhythm of bowling at a constant line and length. Hope also changed his guard to tackle the spinning deliveries well as they celebrated the century stand for the third wicket.
India, surprisingly, didn’t use Jasprit Bumrah for nearly two hours in the second innings. Even after his introduction, there wasn’t much threat with the ball. Both batters registered their respective half-centuries.
India didn’t have any answer to break their concentration. Thanks to the undefeated 138-run stand, the tourists finished with 173/2. Their trail went down to 97 runs.
What’s to expect on Day 4
The pitch hadn’t helped the bowlers much. That’s where they have to toil hard for success with smart planning in the field and bring change of pace. West Indies will first look to erase the deficit, which will be a psychological victory. Then it will be setting a target of over 250 to challenge the home batters on a Day 4 subcontinent track.
Reda More: IND vs WI 2025-26, 2nd Test, Day 1: Yashasvi’s 7th ton, Sai’s 87 lay firm foundation for a big total
Statistical Highlights from IND vs WI, 1st Test, Day 3, Delhi
- Kuldeep Yadav has dismissed Shai Hope thrice in Tests at an average of below 15. The right-handed batter has collected 44 runs in 75 balls in this battle.
- Khary Pierre & Anderson Phillip combined to produce the highest 9th wicket stand (46) for West Indies against India in India in Tests played in the 21st century.
- Kuldeep Yadav took his fifth fifer in Tests.
- Anderson Phillip & Jayden Seales added 27 runs for the 10th wicket. That’s the joint fourth-highest stand for the last wicket for West Indies against India in Tests.
- With the dismissal of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Mohammed Siraj has overtaken Venkatesh Prasad, Irfan Pathan & Bhuvneshwar Kumar in terms of home Test wickets.
- Mohammed Siraj equals Blessing Muzarabani to pick the most Test wickets (36) in the ongoing year.
- John Campbell is the first West Indies batter to get a fifty-plus score in the ongoing series against India.
- Shai Hope and John Campbell record the West Indies’ just the fifth Test century stand for the third wicket since the start of 2015.
- The century partnership between John Campbell & Shai Hope is also the first hundred-plus stand for West Indies in Tests in 2025.
Top Twitter Reactions from IND vs WI, 2nd Test, Day 3, Delhi
Magnificent from the West Indies today. It must be exasperating for their fans to know that this is possible and yet, to see it so rarely.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 12, 2025
Kuldeep gets an opportunity. And he makes it count.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 12, 2025
A well deserved five-wicket haul 🙌 #IndvWI
So good to see West Indies showing gumption and determination in the second innings, making the Indian bowlers toil for success. May still not be able to come out unscathed, but after a series if batting collapses, this fight is heartening
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 12, 2025
Read More: West Indies batting plummeting to new depths; What’s ailing them – A numerical & technical analysis
