2nd Test: India win by innings and 15 runs

Kolkata They were made to work harder in the field than they would have liked, but India surged to an innings and 15-run win over West Indies on day four at Eden Gardens. Beginning the day on 195 or 3 – or, more importantly, 283 runs behind India – West Indies made positive progress for much of the first two sessions but once centurion Dareen Bravo was dismissed the innings unfolded dramatically.

Bravo, overnight on 38, had batted with confidence and fluidity through the morning session. With Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) he put on 108, and once the veteran West Indian was bowled by the ever-improving Umesh Yadav, Bravo formed another partnership with Marlon Samuels.

Bravo was particularly aggressive against the new ball, and from 67 to his second Test century in 35 balls. Samuels, the second most experienced player in the West Indian squad, played the aggressor’s role in a 132-run alliance in 26.2 overs with Bravo.

However, once Bravo (136) was well held at slip by Rahul Dravid off Pragyan Ojha (2/104) the West Indies unraveled as six wickets fell for 62 runs, meaning the match finished before the tea interval.

Six overs after Ojha had removed Bravo, offspinner R Ashwin trapped Samuels lbw for a robust 111-ball 84 and followed up with the wicket of Kemar Roach, while Yadav returned to finish the match with the wickets of Darren Sammy (32) and Devendra Bishoo in consecutive balls.

Sammy, the West Indies captain, had struck three sixes in his belligerent knock in an attempt to avoid an innings defeat, but MS Dhoni's decision to turn to pace proved the trick. Yadav bowled Sammy and Bishoo with successive deliveries to bring an end to the West Indian innings. West Indies' total of 463 was the first time in their history that they had crossed 400 after being forced to follow on.

The big win gives India an unassailable lead in the three-match series, and leaves West Indies with only pride to play for in Mumbai from November 22.

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