Jasprit Bumrah claimed just the third hat-trick by an Indian in Test cricket as the West Indies were left in ruins at 87 for seven on the second day of the second and final Test at Sabina Park on Saturday.
India had earlier racked up 416 all out in their first innings in Jamaica.
Bowling with sustained pace and moving the ball through the air and off the seam, the 25-year-old fast bowler continued his devastating form of the last day of the first Test in Antigua a week earlier, when he took five wickets for just seven runs, snaring six for 16 off 9.1 overs.
It was a phenomenal effort interrupted by cramp in his right leg which forced him to leave the field briefly.
However, all the real discomfort was felt by the home side’s batsmen, and especially the trio of Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase, who were dismissed off successive deliveries for Bumrah to join spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan as the only Indians to take Test hat-tricks.
Bravo was caught at second slip and Brooks palpably leg-before.
However it required a television review from Indian captain Virat Kohli to confirm Chase’s dismissal after on-field umpire Paul Reiffel had turned down the lbw appeal.
Bumrah had already dismissed John Campbell and then added the other opener, Kraigg Brathwaite, after the hat-trick accomplishment.
He also returned after treatment for cramp and with his very first delivery back into the attack removed West Indies captain Jason Holder, leaving debutants Jahmar Hamilton and Rahkeem Cornwall to survive to the close of play.
Any hope of Bumrah taking all ten wickets in the innings had ended when Mohammed Shami terminated the streaky innings of Shimron Hetmyer by bowling the left-hander for 34.
– Vihari hits maiden ton –
Hanuma Vihari had earlier completed his maiden Test hundred as India extended their first innings to the tea interval.
On an afternoon of milestones, Vihari was last out for 111 to Holder, giving the home skipper his 100th Test victim and also allowing the fast-medium bowler to achieve his third five-wicket haul in as many Test innings at the ground.
Yet as well as Vihari played through five hours at the crease in which he faced 225 deliveries, striking 16 boundaries, he was actually overshadowed in an eighth-wicket partnership of 112 by Ishant Sharma who reached his first Test half-century.
He was eventually dismissed for 57 as the home side laboured for most of their time in the field on another blistering afternoon.
Dismissed for 93 on the last day of the first Test a week earlier in Antigua, Vihari would not be denied on this occasion as the hosts wilted in the middle passage of the day’s play.
However as assured as he was for most of his time in the middle, the 25-year-old right-hander still needed more than just a little luck to survive on a challenging pitch in a testing morning session.
Once again it was Holder who led the bowling effort for the West Indies with figures of five for 77 off 32.1 overs.
He received good support from Cornwall, the burly off-spinner claiming three for 107 off 41 consistent overs.
Cornwall should have also had the all-important wicket of Vihari but Campbell could not hold on to the opportunity diving full-length to his right at slip.
On 68 when he benefited from that let-off, Vihari was then thankful to be reprieved by technology ten runs later as an lbw verdict against him off Holder was reversed.
West Indies were made to pay dearly for those opportunities lost as Vihari and Sharma piled on the runs after lunch. They were eventually separated with the tea interval beckoning as Sharma miscued an attempt to heave part-time bowler Brathwaite over the midwicket fence.
