IND vs WI: Did India plan to bat again in 2nd Test? Coach finally reveals truth about follow-on strategy

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India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, acknowledged that there were discussions about batting again during the Delhi Test prior to enforcing the follow-on against the West Indies. After amassing 518 runs for five wickets in their first innings, India dismissed the West Indies for 248, largely due to Kuldeep Yadav’s impressive five-wicket haul.

Although the Indian players had indicated that their plan was to bat only once, Ten Doeschate mentioned that there was consideration of taking another turn at the crease. During a press conference following the day’s play on Sunday, October 12, the assistant coach noted that the last two wickets of the West Indies took longer than expected, and he believed that a lead of 275 runs was quite favorable.

“Yeah, there was a discussion to bat, obviously. Those last two wickets took a little bit longer than we would have hoped for, and it probably started going towards the fact where you do look to bat again, but we felt 275 was a good lead,” said Ten Doeschate.

Following the enforcement of the follow-on, the West Indies successfully thwarted India’s pursuit of victory, with John Campbell standing firm at 87 not out and Shai Hope contributing 66 runs. Ten Doeschate remarked that they anticipated the pitch would deteriorate significantly by the end of Day three, making it challenging for the bowlers to navigate the conditions.

Additionally, Ten Doeschate praised the elegant batting of Campbell and Hope, expressing optimism about implementing their strategies on Day 4.

“We thought the wicket was going to keep deteriorating. We thought by close of play, it would be at its worst. It just seems to have slowed down even more and it’s quite challenging to get any pace out of the wicket, like you said, and you have to really fire the ball in. And of course, when you fire the ball in, it’s got less chance of spinning. So we have found it tricky this afternoon, and they batted nicely. Shai Hope and John Campbell batted beautifully. So back tomorrow, get our plans right, and hopefully get those last 4 batters out and get into the tail,” said Ten Doeschate.

As Day 3 comes to a close, the West Indies find themselves trailing India by a mere 97 runs. With only two wickets down, they boast two established batsmen at the crease.

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