NEW DELHI: Team India’s bid for victory came to an end when the final day of the second cricket Test against the West Indies at Port of Spain was abandoned on the fifth day due to rain.
Not a single ball was bowled on the final day and the deluge robbed India of a 2-0 series whitewash. India settled for a 1-0 series win in the first assignment of the new World Test Championship cycle when rain ended in a draw in Trinidad.
After their win in Dominica in three days, India called the shots here too, aiming for a clean sweep and set the hosts a target of 365 runs. But rain had the final say on the decisive fifth day and the match was tied.
Trailing the West Indies by two wickets for 289 runs at the end of day four, the Indians would have surely fancied their chances of winning and taking 24 points in the WTC 2023-25 cycle.
But it was not to be and India ended their Test campaign without much success thanks to heavy rains.
The main cover was taken after nearly two-and-a-half hours of play was lost as dark clouds gave way to clear blue skies.
Day 5: As it happened
The game was due to start at 13.15 local time, more than four hours later than the scheduled 9am start, but rain returned as groundsmen prepared the playing arena for the match.
By the time the rain subsided, the restart was well overdue, raising hopes of some action on the field of play again.
(AP Photo)
Tagnarine Chanderpaul (24 batting) and Jermaine Blackwood (20) combined to resume West Indies’ second innings with an overnight score of 76 for two.
But the covers came back as a huge cloud hung over the Queen’s Park Oval, disappointing those hoping to see cricket and those wanting the game to go ahead.
It stopped for a while, only to come back with more force, and all hope of resuming play was dashed. Water puddles formed on the covers again and the grass was very wet.
The hosts lost skipper Craig Brathwaite and Kirk McKenzie on the fourth evening, leaving it to Chanderpaul and Blackwood to lead their revival.
In the end, they didn’t have to come out trying to save a Test match on the fifth day’s pitch, however, and the demons were not there.
(Photo Credit: BCCI)
The equation was simple for Rohit’s men. India needed to bowl out West Indies on the last day to get maximum points (12) and points percentage (100) from the match. All teams winning a Test at the WTC are awarded a total of 12 points per match.
According to the points distribution, the match ended in a draw with the visitors only able to get four points. In case of a tie in the WTC cycle, 12 points will be shared equally between the two teams.
All teams are ranked by percentage of points earned in the WTC.
Thanks to the win in the first Test, India have gained 12 points and moved to the top of the pecking order. That win sealed India’s fifth straight series in the Caribbean, but the 1-0 win was not the result of the visitors arriving here considering the tough assignments that await them.
India have two overseas tours to South Africa, against defending World WTC champions Australia, and a home series against England.
India ended the series against West Indies with 16 points and 66 percent points.
It is worth mentioning that the last time the two teams met at the same ground was in 2016, only 22 overs were possible due to incessant rain.
(with inputs from PTI)