India’s young left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal become the 17th player from the country to score a century on Test debut while captain Rohit Sharma got his tenth hundred in the format as the visitors reached 245/2 at tea, taking a 95-run lead over West Indies on day two’s play in the first match at Windsor Park, here on Thursday.
It was another session of domination for India as for the first time in Test cricket, they managed to take a first-innings lead without losing a wicket, though West Indies struck back by taking two wickets in the last 15 minutes.
While reaching their respective centuries, Jaiswal and Rohit brought up India’s first 200+ opening partnership against West Indies in Tests through their mammoth 229-run opening stand. Jaiswal (116 not out, with 12 boundaries) and Virat Kohli (four not out) remained unbeaten till tea, and were expected to extend India’s lead beyond 100 on a slow pitch.
Apart from his usual attacking shots, conventional as well as unconventional, left-handed Jaiswal looked in control even when he was being tested. He took 16 balls to get off the mark on day one with a fantastic upper-cut for four, and began day two by leaving Jason Holder’s deliveries for five times in a row, apart from showing patience when spinners Warrican and Cornwall were beating the edges of the bat.
After a quiet start to the session, Rohit dazzled everyone by chipping a Jason Holder delivery over the bowler’s head for four. Jaiswal got going by driving late behind square and cutting off Holder to take two boundaries in quick succession.
Despite Jomel Warrican changing his angle to round the wicket, Jaiswal wasn’t unperturbed and made room to drive past mid-off for four. Though the ball was changed, Jaiswal pulled off Alzarri Joseph with ease to collect another boundary.
After Rohit edged off Kemar Roach for boundary, Jaiswal reached his Test century on debut with a sweep past fine leg off fellow debutant Alick Athanaze’s part-time spin in the 70th over, with the wide happiness on his face and a gentle bow expressing his emotions on an unforgettable day in his cricketing career.
Jaiswal then drove Kemar Roach behind point for four, and after the ball was replaced again, Rohit drilled a drive over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Rohit brought up his century by drilling an Athanaze full toss through cover for four and acknowledged the applause with gentle raise of bat.
On the very next ball, Rohit pressed forward to defend and was undone by extra bounce on the ball hitting his gloves and the wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva moved across to complete the catch, giving Athanaze his first Test wicket as he fell for 103.
Shubman Gill swept well off Warrican for four, before the left-arm spinner got one to turn away and take the outside edge on defence to second slip, to depart for six, till Jaiswal and Kohli took India to safety till tea break came.
Brief scores: West Indies 150 all out in 64.3 overs lead India 245/2 in 81 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 116 not out, Rohit Sharma 103; Alick Athanaze 1/24, Jomel Warrican 1/66) by 95 runs.
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