India vs West Indies, 2nd Test: 5 Talking Points from the game

Led by a defiant Roston Chase, West Indies drew the second Test at Jamaica against India and ensured that the visitors didn't extend their 1-0 lead.

For his career-best first-class score, Chase was awarded the Man of the Match. But more than his knock in the second innings, it would have been his words that we would have preferred a win, that would have caught the eye of his coach and support staff. Aside from that marvellous knock that was aided immensely by three fifties from Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder.

KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane's first innings century didn't result in a victory thanks to some solid batting and some lacklustre captaincy from Virat Kohli. Aside from whether the declaration was timed correctly, what are the major talking points from this match.

Here are the major talking points from the second Test:

Indian bowling flatters to deceive

Having done so well hitherto in this series, few could have foreseen what was to come from the Indian bowlers. After bowling their opponents in each of their last 16 consecutive Test innings, India's bowlers would have relished the prospect of picking off the rest of the WI batting line-up on a day 5 pitch.

Instead, what happened was something that an Indian fan is only all too familiar with. The bowlers not showing up when it mattered most. The disappearance act conjured by the bowlers on day 5, especially Ravichandran Ashwin, who came into the innings in sublime form, is a cause of concern for Virat Kohli.

Whether the ability to bowl a side out before tea on the first day is a true sign of this bowling attack or the dismal day 5 performance is one that only time will tell. But what is clear is that the visitors will have been improve their bowling immensely if they are to claim the 20 wickets they need to claim the third Test.

Rahane's remarkable run

As the captain and the in-form all eyes are undeniably on Virat Kohli, every time India come out to bat, but under the radar, Ajinkya Rahane has managed to create a niche for himself in the side. Arguably the most technically gifted batsman in the side, Rahane once again did what he does best, in the first innings, scoring runs.

His century, which was his seventh in his Test career was his first in West Indies, which is the sixth different country that he has scored. With that hundred, he now has a century in three of his last four Test innings and improved his already impressive overseas record as a batsman.

Having scored a ninety-plus score in every country that he has played in and scoring a ninety in eight consecutive series starting from India's tour of South Africa in 2013/14, his numbers overseas continue to look incredible. While some might question the pace at which he got to his hundred, the fact that he accelerated soon afterwards merely implies that he wasn't asked to score at any particular pace before it and hence took his own time, thinking that was what the team wanted.

WI finally show some mettle

Chase was the hero for WI

Having had just four fifty-run partnership in the entire series, going into the second innings of the second Test and with just six wickets in hand on day five, against an in-form bowling attack. Few would have given West Indies a prayer of making it past tea, let alone salvaging a draw.

Especially after losing wickets so cheaply on day four, few would have been forgiven for thinking that this might all be over quickly. But for the first time in this series, the hosts' batsmen showed resilience and grit. For the first time in quite some time, they managed to put a price tag on their wicket and not just give it away carelessly.

Led by a man who was only playing in his second Test (Roston Chase), WI lost just two wickets on day five while registering the most runs that any side had ever managed on day five in the West Indies. What made their resistance so impressive was that it wasn't all backs to the wall, defensive resilience that got them through. In fact, it was their positivity and their fearless attitude that put doubts into the minds of the Indian bowlers and eventually led to them salvaging a draw.

Did the declaration cost the game?

After getting to within 70 runs of the Windies total on day 1 itself, day two was a bit of a letdown for Indian supporters as they could manage a lead of 162 at the end of day 2. Still, considering the fact that there were three more days to go, it could hardly be called catastrophic.

But the way in which India batted on day three went some way towards helping West Indies have a sniff of salvaging the Test. Despite having two set batsmen in Wriddhiman Saha and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease, neither went for too many expansive strokes and in the end, India took until after tea to declare.

With the team possessing the knowledge about the upcoming rain and the fact that overs were going to be lost on day four, wouldn't it have made more sense for the batsmen to bat more quickly and end up with a better score in a quicker time. Had they done this, not only would they have declared much earlier than tea on day three but also would have had that much more time to bowl at the West Indian batting line-up.

Although the hosts stood firm on the final day, it was for just over 100 overs and that is a long way away from defending for near 150 overs, which is what might have happened had Kohli asked his batsmen to aggressive and declared sooner.

Is this a turning point in West Indian Test cricket?

How crucial will this draw turn out to be?

The few who were on hand to witness the miracle of Sabina Park will certainly be hoping that this isn't another false dawn in the revival of West Indian cricket. Having suffered through so many lows in the past decade or so, West Indies fans more than deserve to have their day in the sun.

While a draw against India isn't an upset, it certainly is a huge stepping stone in which direction cricket in the West Indies should strive to go towards. While not many expected them to survive for so long day five at Jamaica, the fact that their survival was led by young players in Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood and Shane Dowrich is good news for West Indies cricket.

While this result against India may or may not be the watershed moment in the history of Test cricket in the West Indies but one certainly hopes that they kick on from here and compete for the rest of the series and show that the result that they managed in the second Test was no flash in the pan.