India vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Day 3: Bowlers Hand India Advantage, Reduce West Indies To 229 For 5

Despite multiple rain interventions, India tightened their hold over West Indies as the hosts were placed at a delicate 229 for 5 at the end of the third day of the second Test at Port of Spain, Trinidad on Saturday.

Ravichandran Ashwin produced a peach of a delivery while Mohammed Siraj made the old ball talk as a defensive West Indies crawled their way to 229 for 5 against India on a rain-hit third day of the second Test at Port of Spain, Trinidad on Saturday. Only 67 overs were possible on the third day with West Indies batters looking for a draw, adding just 143 runs. They are still 209 runs behind India's first innings score of 438. However, there was no let-up in intensity in Indian bowling as Ashwin bowled the 'ball of the series' and Siraj delivered a perfect in-cutter to clean up Joshua Da Silva just at the stroke of rain-break to end the day on an even keel on the flattest of decks.

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (75 off 235 balls) used his enormous powers of concentration to frustrate the Indian attack on an insipid track before world's No. 1 Test bowler held the centre stage with a magical moment that brought the smiles back in Indian camp.

The track on offer here is a poor advertisement for Test cricket and if it gets any rating other than ''Average'' from ICC that will be a real surprise.

If West Indies were indiscreet in their shot selection in the opening Test, the home team batters were over-cautious and a lifeless pitch helped their negative approach and a draw seems an inevitability.

Toiling for close to 73 overs on a track which at best can be called ''dead'', Ashwin (33-10-61-1) bowled a delivery that had flight and required inward drift which was good enough to entice Brathwaite to plonk his front-foot for his umpteenth defensive prod.