Indian bowlers demonstrated remarkable perseverance in the second Test against the West Indies at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, successfully claiming all 20 wickets despite challenging pitch conditions. Spinner Washington Sundar highlighted the team’s efforts, describing the pitch as ‘typical Delhi’ with limited bounce and minimal turn, making the bowlers’ achievement even more commendable.
The Indian team posted a formidable 518/5 declared in their first innings. Following this, they bowled out the West Indies for 248, enforcing the follow-on with a substantial 270-run lead. Although the visitors showed resilience in their second innings, setting a target of 121, the Indian bowlers had to endure over 200 overs of diligent work. Sundar emphasized the mental fortitude required on such surfaces, stating, “On this kind of a wicket, you just need to be patient and try and hit those [good] areas more consistently.” He praised the collective effort, noting that “all of the bowlers bowled really well, even the fast bowlers bowled their heart out every single spell, so it’s very heartening.”
The beauty of Test cricket, according to Sundar, lies in adapting to diverse conditions. “Different venues play quite differently, and that’s the beauty of this format in particular,” he remarked. “We play in a lot of different conditions, be it home or away, and obviously, all those conditions and the opposition challenge our skillsets.” India ended the fourth day in a dominant position at 63/1, needing just 58 more runs for a series-clinching victory.
