CMC – Despite a much better showing with both bat and ball, the West Indies were not able to stop a rampant India from coming away with a dominant seven-wicket victory on the fifth morning of the second Test here in Delhi to secure a clean 2-0 series sweep over the regional side.

The hosts needed just 17.2 overs on the final day to chase down their modest target to reach 124-3, with opener KL Rahul guiding them home with an unbeaten and composed 58.

The visitors had some respite, after they claimed the wickets of Sai Suhharsan for 39 and captain Shubman Gill for 13, both falling to skipper Roston Chase.

The win consolidates India’s position at third in the World Test Championship standings, trailing only Australia and Sri Lanka.

The foundation for this comprehensive victory was laid early. A commanding first-innings total, built on the back of magnificent centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal 175 and captain Gill 129 not out, proved insurmountable.

India’s bowlers then swiftly bundled the tourists out for 248, enforcing a follow-on that seemed to signal an early finish.

However, the West Indies, fresh from a 3-0 drubbing by Australia, finally found some fight. A dogged partnership between John Campbell and Shai Hope, both of whom scored defiant centuries, powered them to a more than respecatble 390 all out in their second innings.

Any lingering hope for the tourists was extinguished by a 79-run second wicket partnership between the assured Rahul and the impressive Sai Sudharsan, who added 39 to his first-innings 87.

For the West Indies, it marks a second successive series whitewash. Yet, skipper Roston Chase took a measure of satisfaction from his team’s late defiance.

“I think this is the kind of fight that I wanted to see from us,” Chase said. “This is a stepping stone, a building block for us to go forward and improve as a test-playing nation.”

The West Indies, currently sixth in the WTC standings, will look to build on that fight when they begin a tour of New Zealand on November 5.