KL Rahul's 11th hundred flattened the West Indies bowling attack before Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja also joined the party with elegant tons as India literally batted the visitors out of the opening Test by taking a huge lead of 286 at the end of the second day's play on Friday.
At stumps, India were 448 for 5, and with the West Indies spinners getting appreciable turn and bounce off the rough, the hosts will like to finish the game by the end of the third day itself and bolster their standing in the World Test Championship points table.
Rahul (100 off 197 balls), Jurel (125 off 210 balls) and Jadeja (104 batting off 178 balls) had their own distinct approach to Test match batting and even interesting ways of celebrating. Rahul's celebration was for his infant daughter, while Jurel's gun salute was for the Indian Army and Jadeja's now familiar sword celebration was something the spectators really enjoyed.
The West Indies bowling left a lot to be desired, enabling India to increase their stranglehold on the opposition. In 128 overs, India scored at 3.50 runs, which included 45 boundaries and eight sixes, five of them by Jadeja, same shot in the same region.
While Rahul brought an end to his century drought at home by hitting his second hundred since December 2016, Jurel brought up his maiden Test century in only his sixth Test for India. Jadeja, whose purple patch saw the venerable all-rounder notching up his seventh score in last six Tests in excess of 50, including two hundreds, since the England tour, brought up his sixth century in the format.
Jurel and Jadeja put on 206 runs for the fifth wicket for an imposing fifth-wicket stand. They narrowly missed the record for highest fifth wicket partnership for India against West Indies, which belonged to VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar who put on 214 runs at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in October 2002. The partnership ended when Jurel, who smacked 15 fours and three sixes got an inside edge off Khary Pierre to be caught behind for the West Indies debutant’s maiden wicket in Tests.
Gill and Rahul resumed India’s innings at 121 for 2 and by drinks in the first session, the deficit of 41 runs was erased. In the 56th over off Pierre, Rahul reverse-swept a ball for a four, which Gill enjoyed thoroughly and tried to emulate his partner in the next over, but a leading edge to first slip proved to be his undoing.
Gill, who added 98 runs for the third wicket with Rahul, fell immediately after completing his half-century, which included five fours. Rahul also met a similar fate as he ended up giving a catch at extra cover while attempting a drive.
Scoreboard: West Indies first innings: 162; India first innings: Yashasvi Jaiswal c Shai Hope b Jayden Seales 36 KL Rahul c Justin Greaves b Warrican 100 Sai Sudharsan lbw b Roston Chase 7 Shubman Gill c Justin Greaves b Roston Chase 50 Dhruv Jurel c Shai Hope b Khary Pierre 125 Ravindra Jadeja batting 104 Washington Sundar batting 9 Extras: (b-12, lb-3, w-1, nb-1) 17 Total: 448/(5 in 128 overs Fall of wickets: 68-1, 90-2, 188-3, 218-4, 424-5 Bowling: Jayden Seales 19-2-53-1, Johann Layne 15-0-38-0, Justin Greaves 12-4-59-0, Jomel Warrican 29-5-102-1, Khary Pierre 29-1-91-1, Roston Chase 24-3-90-2.
Also read: Siraj, Bumrah send West Indies packing
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