India hold all the aces in this Test. As we head into Day 3, the big question is when the declaration will come or whether West Indies can seize a moment of momentum and take the five remaining wickets to wrest that declaration decision away from India. One school of thought suggests India could declare overnight, giving Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj the chance to exploit any early-morning assistance. Alternatively, they might prefer to keep the tourists out in the field for another session before piling on further pressure. It has been a chastening experience for a relatively inexperienced touring side, but they will need to show a stomach for a fight whenever they come out to bat. Saturday, 4th October, will be Day 3 of the Test, with the first ball scheduled for 9.30 am IST (4 am GMT). As always, we will be here nice and early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

KL Rahul is up for a quick chat, and he begins by reflecting on his form, saying that the last four to five months have been really good for him and he is enjoying his batting. Speaking about the break between the England series and this one, he mentions that the tour of England was fun, and after a long series there, the break has helped him feel fresh. Adds that he played a game last week with India A to get back into rhythm. On nerves, Rahul admits that he was a bit nervous since he hadn’t played for a while, but he managed to settle in. Talking about the conditions, he points out that it was physically challenging, though he is not entirely sure what to expect going forward. Highlights that the only thing he has worked on recently is maintaining his batting tempo. Signs off by revealing that his celebration after the hundred was dedicated to his daughter.

The second new ball was eventually taken early in the third session and was shared between Jayden Seales and Johann Layne. It proved to be a period of interrogation for the two Indian batters, but once the spinners came on, they quickly resumed their usual rhythm. First Jurel and then Jadeja brought up their centuries, with Dhruv recording a maiden Test hundred and Ravindra notching the sixth of his career as he continued his rich vein of form. Khary Pierre finally broke the 206-run stand by inducing an edge from Jurel, but Jadeja and Washington Sundar closed the day for the hosts with a 286-run lead.

Rahul fell immediately after the lunch break, but that setback did not deter Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja from upping the tempo. Jadeja took the initiative before Jurel joined in on the act. Surprisingly, the West Indies delayed taking the second new ball, eventually opting for it 17 overs after it became available. Jayden Seales did find some reverse swing with the old ball during a short burst, which may have influenced the decision to hold off on the new cherry. However, once that movement faded, delaying the new ball only allowed Jadeja and Jurel to extend India’s advantage with little resistance.

Another dominant day at the office for India makes it two days in a row, and they have only gone and increased the gulf between the two sides. The West Indies endured 90 overs of long toil with only 3 wickets to show for their efforts, while India scored 327 runs in the day. The hosts began the day 41 runs behind, while the Windies were desperate to respond after a tough opening day. KL Rahul survived a heart-in-mouth moment in the very first over when an outside edge flew between the keeper and slip, but he soon settled in to register his second Test hundred at home, his first since 2016. Shubman Gill added a composed fifty as India moved into the lead.