KOLKATA: The talent of Darren Bravo found full expression, the undoubted ability of the temperamental Marlon Samuels came to the fore as well, but their combined effort couldn't alter the inevitable bottomline at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Scorecard | Match in Pics
India won the second Test by an innings and 15 runs with a session and a day to spare - just like they had done at the Kotla - to take an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match Airtel series.
At 269/3 and again 401/4 on Day 4, the West Indies looked on course to forcing India to bat a second time. But the old malaise of losing wickets in a heap hurt the West Indies again and they slumped to 463 all out, once Pragyan Ojha ended Bravo's knock of 136 (230 balls, 16x4, 4x6) to terminate a threatening 132-run partnership with Samuels (84 off 111 balls, 13x4, 1x6).
The new spin-twins Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin, denied a wicket till the 111th over of the West Indian second innings, finally got into the act to scalp two victims each. Umesh Yadav, the new kid on the block, then completed the job with his express speed to finish with 4 for 80 which gave him match figures of 7 for 103. The 24-year-old from Vidarbha believes in bowling fast, straight and full - good old virtues that will stand him in good stead provided he keeps his feet on the ground and doesn't strive too hard.
It was surprising not to see Yadav and Ishant Sharma being pressed into service when play got under way early (8.30 am) for the second straight day. The second new ball was 18 overs away, so Mahendra Singh Dhoni could have given at least one, if not both his quick men two or three overs first up. Ojha, Ashwin, and even Virender Sehwag got some turn but didn't make much impression on Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. While Bravo was quick to pounce on anything full or short, Chanderpaul collected his runs mostly from pushes and nudges.
The breakthrough came with the new ball, Yadav pushing Chanderpaul (47) on to the backfoot with a couple of bouncers and then forcing the senior pro to drag one from outside off on to his stumps. The biggest thorn had been removed but Bravo was in no mood to surrender.
A few thousand, who had showed up in the stands could be excused for mistaking Bravo with the peerless Brian Lara. After all, the resemblance is uncanny. The same high backlift, identical flourish of the bat, even the celebratory jump with the bat held high in the air on reaching his second Test hundred - every posture of Bravo's mirrored the great man's demeanour. Some of the lofted strokes and square drives Bravo played on Thursday would have done his uncle proud.
And Yadav returned to pegged back the stumps of Darren Sammy and Devendra Bishoo off successive balls to bring down the curtain on the second Test and set himself up for a 'split' hat-trick in the next Test match as India push for a 'brownwash' at the Wankhede.
India's sixth Test series win over West Indies
India registered their sixth overall and fourth in succession Test series victory over West Indies when they took unbeatable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match rubber. MS Dhoni remain the only skipper to post two series wins over Windies and that two back to back in the same year.
