\u201cWhat India could have done better was to put a little more pressure on the batters,\u201d Kumble said after day four. \u201cThe pitch was really docile. But credit to the West Indian batters as well. I know we\u2019re looking at it from an Indian bowling perspective, but I thought the West Indies batters really applied themselves.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kumble revealed that he had spoken with West Indies head coach Darren Sammy before play and credited the visitors for answering their captain\u2019s call for application.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI had a brief chat with Darren Sammy yesterday morning, and the first thing he said was, \u2018I wish our batters could apply themselves more.\u2019 They\u2019ve now shown the coach that they can do it. We saw that yesterday and again today. Even the tail-enders applied themselves really well. I thought the No. 10 and No. 11 batted brilliantly to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Maybe, India could have applied a bit more pressure through field placements to force mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kumble\u2019s remarks came at the end of a long, grinding day for India. What initially seemed like a stroll towards a 2-0 series win turned into a test of endurance, as the hosts fielded for 200 overs since the middle of day two before being asked to chase 121.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
By stumps, India were 63\/1, with B Sai Sudharsan (30*) and KL Rahul (25*) guiding the side to safety after the early loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The hosts now need just 58 more runs to complete victory, but the road to that modest target was anything but easy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When West Indies resumed their second innings midway through day three, few would have expected them to drag the match into the final day. Reduced to 35\/2 after quick strikes from Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, the visitors found unlikely heroes in John Campbell and Shai Hope.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The pair stitched a defiant 177-run stand for the third wicket \u2014 a partnership that not only revived West Indies\u2019 innings but also restored pride to their Test side. Campbell\u2019s 115 was his maiden Test hundred in his 50th innings, while Hope ended an eight-year wait for a century with a composed 103.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWest Indies went past the follow-on mark and ensured that India had to bat again,\u201d Kumble said, singling out Hope\u2019s resilience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI thought Shai Hope was exceptional. We all know his potential. He\u2019s done it consistently in white-ball cricket. He had a great start to his Test career as well. I remember when I was a coach and we toured the West Indies, he played a practice game before the series started, batted brilliantly, got a hundred, and looked the part. Since then, his performances dipped a bit, but to get his first fifty after 31 innings and now a hundred today, he really looked solid. I\u2019m sure he\u2019s now taken that No. 4 role very seriously, and that\u2019s something the West Indies will want to build on moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hope\u2019s partnership with Campbell set the tone for a day of stubborn resistance. From 293\/4, West Indies slid to 311\/9, before Justin Greaves (50*) and Jayden Seales (32) frustrated India further by batting out 25.2 overs for the final wicket \u2014 their 79-run stand becoming West Indies\u2019 second-best of the year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite three wickets each from Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, India\u2019s bowlers were made to sweat under the Delhi sun. The decision to enforce the follow-on \u2014 after bowling West Indies out for 311 in 81.5 overs in the first innings \u2014 looked bold at the time but grew increasingly taxing as the fourth day wore on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hope\u2019s partnership with Campbell set the tone for a day of stubborn resistance. From 293\/4, West Indies slid to 311\/9, before Justin Greaves (50*) and Jayden Seales (32) frustrated India further by batting out 25.2 overs for the final wicket \u2014 their 79-run stand becoming West Indies\u2019 second-best of the year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
On Tuesday, India will return needing 58 more runs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n