West Indies players on their knees after Kemar Roach misses a Test hat-trick by a whisker

Kemar Roach has been a whole hearted trier for the West Indies, especially in Test cricket. The 31-year-old has bowled with fire even in the ongoing Test series versus India. Even as his team has strained versus Virat Kohli and Co, Roach has been able to ruffle a few feathers. The speedster was at his very best in the second innings of the second Test at the Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

The Caribbean team was bowled out for a paltry 117 after India amassed 416 in their first innings. With a trail of 299, Roach came out all guns blazing. In the fifth over, he struck first blood, getting rid of Mayank Agarwal, who scored a half-century in the first innings. Roach trapped the batter plumb in front and albeit Mayank opted for the Decision Review System (DRS), it didn’t save the latter.

However, it was the 21st over of the innings that created the most drama. In the first ball of the over, Roach got rid of KL Rahul, who didn’t find any sort of fluency after scoring six off 63 deliveries. The bowler found his outside edge and keeper Jahmar Hamilton took a simple catch. The Barbados-born Roach inflicted the body blow as he removed Indian skipper Virat Kohli for a golden duck.

A not-so-lucky Kemar Roach

He moved the ball a tad away from Kohli and it found the batsman’s outside edge. The entire Windies team was up on its feet after Roach bowled with fire and venom. Ajinkya Rahane was the next man in and he had to face the hat-trick ball. On the second day, Jasprit Bumrah picked up a hat-trick and now it was Roach’s turn to accomplish the feat. But luck evaded Roach by a whisker.

The bowler churned out a back-of-a-length delivery outside the off-stump. The leather shaped in and it caught Rahane in an awkward position. Rahane made a tentative push at the ball and got a thick inside edge. The rub of the green went his way as the ball missed the leg stump by the narrowest of margins. Seeing so, the Windies players couldn’t believe Roach’s luck and they got on their knees in astonishment.

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