West Indies vs India 2023, 2nd Test: Rain forces a draw as visitors take the series 1-0

Consistent rain on Day 5 forced a draw in the second test between West Indies and India at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain.

It's unfortunate that the weather disrupted the centennial Test between West Indies and India. India batted first and managed to score 438 runs, thanks to Virat Kohli's century and half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

In response, the West Indies started their innings slowly and cautiously. West Indies captain, Brathwaite, scored a half-century, and they managed to bat through the entire third day. However, on the fourth day, they suffered a collapse, losing their last five wickets in the first hour. Mohammed Siraj was instrumental in this, taking five wickets in total, and the West Indies were all out for 255.

Siraj's Brilliant Bowling Performance Earns Him Man of the Match

Siraj displayed his brilliance on the cricket field by achieving his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket. With an impressive bowling performance, he took five wickets while conceding only 60 runs in 23.4 overs. Although he faced challenges on day 3 and managed to dismiss just one batsman, Siraj made a remarkable comeback on day 4. Within an hour, he showcased exceptional skill, claiming four out of the last five wickets to fall. His outstanding display earned him the well-deserved man of the match award.

Mohammed Siraj at the presentation ceremony said "This is my first Player of the Match award in Tests, very pleased. There wasn't much help for the pacers. I kept my plans simple and executed. When you pick wickets in conditions like this, you get loads of confidence. Rohit bhai asked me to believe in myself, not take any pressure and enjoy."

India, with a lead of 183 runs, batted aggressively, and Ishan Kishan impressed with his first half-century in just 33 balls. They declared their innings at 181-2, setting a target of 365 runs for the West Indies to chase with almost four sessions remaining in the Test.

In their chase, the West Indies started positively with Brathwaite leading the charge. However, Ashwin dismissed him for the second time in the match and also took another wicket in his following over and West Indies ended the day 4 at 76-2. Going into the final day, the equation was 289 runs required with 8 wickets in hand, and the match offered 12 World Test Championship (WTC) points to the winner.

Sadly, the rain refused to stop, and there was no possibility of any cricketing action on the final day. Consequently, the match ended in a draw and both teams got 4 WTC points and India won the series 1-0.