India’s decision to enforce the follow-on in the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium raised plenty of eyebrows. Leading by 273 runs after piling up 518 for 5, Shubman Gill’s men could have batted again, given their bowlers had already sent down nearly 82 overs on a slow, low surface.
Instead, they chose to put the visitors back in, a call that tested their own endurance and almost allowed West Indies back into the contest. On a surface that didn’t have much for the pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had to bowl and stand in stunning heat for almost two days straight.
India’s bold gamble on a flat Delhi pitch
Conventional wisdom would have suggested India take the safer route by batting again, stretch the lead beyond 500, and give their bowlers a well-deserved breather. After all, the pitch in Delhi wasn’t deteriorating sharply, and the first innings had already shown how difficult it was to extract life out of the old ball.
India’s attack, having bowled 81.5 overs already, looked visibly weary by the third evening as West Indies’ top order showed resilience unseen in Ahmedabad. John Campbell and Shai Hope added 177 for the third wicket, and the visitors batted over 119 overs in the third innings, the most overs the Windies have batted in last one year.
There was also a practical argument against enforcing the follow-on. With a tough away series against Australia just weeks away, India’s bowlers could have benefited from extra rest. Bumrah and Siraj, in particular, have carried heavy workloads this season, and even Kuldeep Yadav’s long spells on unresponsive tracks take a toll.
Shubman Gill explains the thought process
After the match, Gill shed light on the decision that split opinion among fans and experts alike. “We were around 300 runs ahead. We thought even if we scored like 500 runs and we have to get 6 or 7 wickets on day 5, it could be a tough day for us. So, that was the thought process,” Gill said in the post-match presentation while talking about the decision to enforce a follow-on.
Gill’s logic was rooted in time management. He and the team believed that setting the West Indies a fresh total to chase on the final day might have left India scrambling for wickets late in the match. Instead, they wanted to attack while conditions were still relatively fresh. In the end, the call paid off with India comfortably chasing down 121 runs within the first hour of Day 5.
Why did India risk enforcing follow-on on West Indies in 2nd Test in Delhi? Shubman Gill reveals Inside Sport India.
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