IND vs WI, 2nd Test: India scored 288/4 at stumps on day 1 of the second Test against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad.
Fifties from captain Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Virat Kohli — playing his 500th transnational game — put India in control despite the West Indies fighting back in the alternate session, as the visiting side ended day one on 288 for four in the alternate Test on Friday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
India went with one change for the marquee 100th Test between the two sides, with Mukesh Kumar making his elderly debut. He replaced Shardul Thakur, who was injured.
West Indies had two changes in its XI Shannon Gabriel came in for Rahkeem Cornwall, and 22- time-old Jamaican each-rounder Kirk McKenzie made his Test debut, replacing Raymon Reifer.
West Indies commander Kraigg Brathwaite’s decision to drift first on a flat face, which demanded pace and offered little to no backing to the fast bowlers, boomeranged in the first session when Indian openers forged a alternate consecutive century stage, scoring at nearly five runs an over.
After a vigilant launch against Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph, who operated with the new ball, Rohit cleared the square leg hedge off Roach in the fifth over for the first outside of the innings.
Jaiswal also smashed Joseph for a four and a six in the coming over, as India reached 50 inside 11 overs and 100 by the 21st. Meanwhile, Rohit reached his 15th half- century with a trademark pull shot off Roach over square leg for six.
Jaiswal followed suit, reaching his fifty with back- to- back boundaries against Joseph before Lunch.
Jason Holder, who looked good with his harmonious line and length, gave the West Indies the first advance just after Lunch when Jaiswal was caught by debutant Mckenzie on 57 at first slip after having added 139 runs for the first gate. The left- hander was caught in the cordon while driving.
Shubman Gill formerly again failed to impress at No. 3 and was caught behind off Roach for just 10.
Brathwaite’s decision to bring Jomel Warrican into the attack paid off as the left- arm incentive castled Rohit. He played down the wrong line after Warrican fired one on the middle that spun down enough to beat Rohit’s outside edge and crash into the off- refuse, denying the Indian commander his 16th Test ton. Rohit’s redundancy touched off amini-collapse, which saw India slip from 139 for no loss to 155 for three.
Kohli, who was playing his 500th transnational match, and vice captain Ajinkya Rahane dug in to alleviate the damage.
The brace played out 12 overs before Gabriel clean sailed Rahane with an inswinger just before Tea to leave India at 182 for four after two sessions.
Kohli got to his 30th Test half- century with a boundary off Warrican. During his innings, Kohli surpassed South African each- rounder Jacques Kallis (25,534) to come the fifth-loftiest run- getter in transnational justice. His unbeaten 106- run cooperation with Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth gate shifted the instigation back in India’s favour.
The onus will be on Kohli, who’s eyeing his first Test hundred on foreign soil after 2018, to steer India to a redoubtable first- innings score when Day 2 resumes. Know More Latest Cricket News…
