Kemar Roach spearheaded an excellent West Indies effort to limit India’s progress after lunch following captain Virat Kohli’s decision not to enforce the follow-on on the third day of the second and final Test against at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Sunday.
With a formidable 299-run first innings lead as their platform, the tourists stuttered to 73 for four at tea, adding just 56 runs in two hours’ play for the loss of three wickets.
It leaves the tourists still very much in command with an overall advantage of 372 runs.
However it was the outstanding bowling of Roach which took the spotlight in the day’s middle session.
Having removed Mayank Agarwal before lunch after the home side were dismissed for 117 in their first innings, the 30-year-old fast bowler was rewarded for his consistent excellence in line and length in the afternoon with the wickets of K.L. Rahul and Kohli off consecutive deliveries.
Both were caught behind in identical fashion and it could have gotten even better for Roach and the West Indies as he came within millimetres of matching Jasprit Bumrah’s hat-trick of the previous day.
His first delivery to new batsman Ajinkya Rahane took an inside-edge and flew past the stumps on the way to the fine-leg boundary.
Roach’s three wickets so far in the innings have elevated him ninth on the list of all-time leading wicket-takers in Tests for the West Indies with 193 victims, one ahead of the legendary Wes Hall, who was the consistent spearhead of the dominant Caribbean teams of the 1960’s.
Jason Holder then prised out Chesteshwar Pujara to reduce India to 57 for four before first innings century-maker Hanuma Vihari joined Rahane in successfully defying the West Indies to the tea interval.
Roach was last out in the West Indies first innings as the lower order offered a bit more resistance on the third morning than the frontline batsmen had shown late on day two when Bumrah’s hat-trick highlighted the demolition job by the tourists’ fast bowlers, reducing the Caribbean team to 87 for seven at the close of play.
Bumrah failed to add to his six-wicket tally from the day before and it was left to the other frontline bowlers – pacers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma and spinner Ravindra Jadeja - to eventually claim the last three wickets after 75 minutes’ play.
Shami produced a steep lifter to remove Rahkeem Cornwall via a simple catch to Rahane at gully while Sharma accounted for the other overnight debutant, Jahmar Hamilton, Kohli holding on to the chance low at third slip.
With last man Shannon Gabriel at the other end, Roach opted to hit out against Jadeja but could only spoon a catch to Mayank Agarwal at cover.
Mindful no doubt of managing the workload on his bowlers in extremely hot conditions, Kohli opted to bat a second time, presenting Roach with the opportunity to further enhance his already burgeoning credentials as the best West Indies fast bowler of the modern era.
UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.
Investment gap
Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.
Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.
Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, noted “The UK can lead globally in medicines and vaccines, unlocking billions in R&D investment and improving patient access but only if barriers are removed and innovation rewarded.”
The UK invests just 9% of healthcare spending in medicines, compared with 17% in Spain, and only 37% of new medicines are made fully available for their licensed indications, compared to 90% in Germany.
Expert reviews
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, pointed that “The government’s own review shows the sector is underfunded by about £2 billion per year. To make transformation a reality, this gap must be closed with clear plans for investment in people, premises and technology.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold £20,000 to £30,000 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) — has remained unchanged for over two decades, delaying or deterring new medicine launches. Raising it is viewed as vital to attracting foreign investment, expanding patient access, and maintaining the UK’s global standing in life sciences.
Guy Oliver, General Manager for Bristol Myers Squibb UK and Ireland, noted that " the current VPAG rate is leaving UK patients behind other countries, forcing cuts to NHS partnerships, clinical trials, and workforce despite government growth ambitions".
Reeves’ push for reform, supported by the ABPI’s Competitiveness Framework, underlines Britain’s intent to stay a leading hub for pharmaceutical innovation while ensuring NHS patients will gain faster access to new treatments.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.