After putting up a fight in the last couple of days, the West Indies were back to being punching bags in this second and final Test in Port of Spain, a familiar feature of their cricket over the last few years.
Resuming at 229/5 on Day IV, the Windies lost their remaining five wickets adding only 26 more to their overnight total, allowing India a big 183-run lead.
That was the kind of opening India were looking for, especially on this slow Queen's Park Oval pitch as skipper Rohit Sharma (57 off 44 balls) and his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal (38 off 30 balls) then plundered runs to extend the lead to 301.
India were 118/2 in just 15 overs so far in their second innings as hardly 20 minutes of play were possible in Sunday's second session owing to a downpour that had forced an early lunch as well. The day's opening session ended 20 minutes prior to its scheduled close as India had gone into lunch at 98/1, losing Rohit.
With wet conditions likely on Monday as well, as the weather forecast says, rain appears to be India's biggest threat in their bid to record a 2-0 sweep.
After Mohammed Siraj (5/60) took his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, also registering his best figures in the format thereby to end the Windies' first innings at 255, Jaiswal and Rohit took on the home team bowlers right from the onset. Young Jaiswal set the tempo with a six and a four off Kemar Roach in the first over of India's second essay and Rohit then unleashed a flurry of strokes to ease his way into a third successive 50-plus score in the series.
In trying to accelerate further, Rohit holed out at the fine-leg region off Shannon Gabriel, which also turned out to be the second last ball of the first session.
The two India openers did well to bring their white-ball skills into play which, weather permitting, has brightened India's prospects of a win. With the Windies prone to collapsing from any situation, India will certainly fancy their chances.
Taking nothing away from India, the Windies quicks' bowling at times was a level below mediocrity, while they also allowed a couple of reprieves to Rohit. The India captain was batting on 25 and 29 when Gabriel and debutant Kirk Mckenzie dropped those two easy catches at wide long-off and square leg, respectively. Those two occasions were also a reflection of the attitude and approach of the current Windies side.
Siraj swing
The way the Windies lower order capitulated did highlight their plight, but one should laud Siraj for his effort on such a surface.
After Mukesh Kumar set things up for India by trapping Alick Athanaze lbw in the day's first over, Siraj made good use of his outswinger to dismiss Jason Holder and Kemar Roach, and used the seam well to shape the ball in to send Alzarri Joseph and Gabriel back for his fifer.
