It was a most unsurprising day. India did well in the morning because West Indies love to collapse. Yet, their chances of pulling off a miraculous win or draw had almost evaporated by stumps, at which time they trailed by 123 runs and had lost their top four. For the second time in the Test, the batting had failed.

Sachin Tendulkar must be prepared for criticism. For a batsman of his stature, his second-innings performances in matches where India are under the cosh are getting embarrassing. In the last two-and-a-half years, he has averaged 30.35 in any second innings, let alone in those where India have felt the heat. No hundreds have come in these 18 Test matches, and even in the eight matches that India have won, his contribution has been close to negligible, bar two occasions.

Both those were against Zimbabwe; the first was at Bulawayo last year, where he assisted SS Das to a target of 184 with 36 not out, and the other at Delhi this February, when he made 42 in a target of 122. In the second of these instances too, he was out before sealing the deal.

At the time Tendulkar came in today, India were 191 runs behind, but still retained a slim – horribly slim – chance of making a game of it. The pitch had eased out and both the openers, Wasim Jaffer and Das, had got out because of the fielding; Jaffer to a slick pick-up-and-underarm throw by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Das to a freak catch by Ramnaresh Sarwan at forward short leg. Tendulkar saw Dravid fall, and then went and got out himself. His last three innings have been 0, 0 and 8. You have to go back almost a decade to South Africa when he had so unproductive a three-inning slump. That time, he got 1, 6 and 0.

It's mild consolation for India that they have their finest second-innings player at the crease. Yes, VVS Laxman averages close to 47 in his second innings, a good seven runs above his career average. The same differential for Tendulkar is more than 13 runs - but in the other direction. Yes, Laxman's 281 had come in the third innings of a match, but no, these things don't happen annually. Or do they?

Tomorrow will tell us that. For today, the only comfort for the Indian supporter would be Jaffer. His fluency on the back foot had already won him many supporters among those who follow domestic cricket. Today he showed just why. Behind point, or just in front of it, and in the vacant arc on the legside, he leant back time and again and kissed it for four. He was utterly classy and lazily elegant. It remains to be seen whether he has the spine, but India at least know that they have yet another sweet, sweet timer in their ranks.

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com India. His reports will appear here throughout the Test series.

More Indian Verdicts
Day 1 Weak weak India
Day 2 Subcontinental drift

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