Kuldeep Yadav enters record books with fifth Test five-for as India enforce follow-on against West Indies in Delhi

Kuldeep Yadav collected his fifth Test five-for, his first in the format in more than a year, as India enforced the follow-on on West Indies after collecting a humongous 270-run first innings lead on Day 3 of the second Test in Delhi.

Kuldeep, who had been sidelined for the entire five-Test series in England earlier this year but is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing series, achieved the feat after trapping Jayden Seales (13) LBW to break the 27-run partnership for the final wicket along with Anderson Phillip (24 not out).

Kuldeep signed off with figures of 5/82 as a result; it was his first five-for since March last year, when his figures of 5/72 had helped India bowl England out for 218 in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

In the process, the 30-year-old from Uttar Pradesh became the joint-most successful left-arm wrist spinner in terms of five-wicket-hauls in Test cricket, going level with late English spinner Johnny Wardle – who had also collected five five-fors. Kuldeep, however, has achieved the feat in just 15 Tests compared to Wardle, who had signed off with as many five-fors at the end of his 28-Test career.

Former South African spinner Paul Adams is third on the list with four five-fors in 45 Tests.

Windies fall well short despite improved display with bat

West Indies produced an improved display with the bat, posting 248 on the board after getting bundled out for 162 and 146 in the first Test in Ahmedabad, where they lost by an innings and 140 runs.

The Roston Chase-led visitors had ended Day 2 on 140/4, and could have gone past 300 had senior batter Shai Hope, batting on 31 overnight, converted his start into a big score and forged a major partnership with the middle order. Instead, Windies lost wickets in a cluster in the morning session as Kuldeep and senior spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ran through their batting lineup.

West Indies faced the prospect of getting shot out for a sub-200 score for the third consecutive time after getting reduced to 175/8 shortly before lunch, before fighting contributions from the lower order helped them finish within touching distance of the 250-mark.

Gill became the first Indian captain to enforce follow-on with a lead under 300 since Virat Kohli against Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Fatullah in 2015. India, meanwhile, will be backing themselves to bowl the West Indians out before lunch on the fourth day, if not in the session-and-a-half that remain on the ‘Moving Day’.