India 312 for 2 (Jaiswal 143*, Rohit 103) lead West Indies 150 by 162 runs
Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma put India in a commanding position on the second day of the first Test at Windsor Park. At stumps, India were 312 for 2, leading West Indies by 162 with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 and Virat Kohli 36.
Having started the day on 80 for no loss, Jaiswal and Rohit showed great patience throughout their 229-run partnership. It was the first time in Test cricket that India took a first-innings lead without losing a wicket.
Run scoring wasn't easy, though. India managed only 232 in 90 overs on the second day despite losing just two wickets. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite used nine bowlers with Rahkeem Cornwall being the most threatening. However, Cornwall had to leave the field in the first session with a chest infection and did not return.
Jaiswal was the first to bring up his hundred, becoming the third Indian opener after Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, and the 17th Indian overall, to do so on Test debut.
Rohit followed shortly afterwards with a four off Alick Athanaze. It was his tenth century in Test cricket, and only second outside India in 27 matches. But off the very next ball, he gloved the spinner onto his thigh and Joshua Da Silva caught the rebound.
Before this Test, Shubman Gill had told India's coach Rahul Dravid that he wanted to bat at No. 3. The move didn't bring immediate success for Gill, though, as he edged Jomel Warrican to second slip for 6.
With the spinners getting turn and bounce, West Indies delayed taking the second new ball until the 101st over. In their desperation for another wicket, they also burnt two reviews against Kohli but India survived that period.
In the third over with the second new ball, Kemar Roach rapped Jaiswal on the pads but Richard Kettleborough turned down the lbw appeal. West Indies had no reviews left and replays showed the ball would have gone on to hit the leg stump.
The second new ball was just eight overs old when Brathwaite brought back Warrican. It was only then that Kohli, having faced 80 balls, scored his first boundary with a cover drive. He celebrated with an air punch and a big smile. By stumps, he and Jaiswal had added 72 for the third wicket.
In the morning, Jason Holder and Roach stuck to a good length outside off, conceding just 19 in the first nine overs of the day. The first boundary off the bat came in the tenth when Jaiswal pulled Joseph to bring up his half-century. The shot also brought up India's first opening century stand in 23 innings, since KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 against South Africa in Centurion in December 2021.
After the first drinks interval, Rohit reached his half-century as well. He also had some advice for Jaiswal whenever the youngster looked impatient or played a loose shot.
Cornwall was getting assistance from the surface and had challenged both of Jaiswal's edges before the break. On the other side of it, he pinged him on the helmet with extra bounce as the left-hander failed to connect a sweep. Warrican, much quicker through the air than Cornwall, also found big turn to beat Rohit's outside edge, but a wicket eluded West Indies.
At the start of the second session, Jaiswal tried to raise the tempo. He skipped down the pitch a couple of times against Warrican but didn't have much success. It was Rohit who showed the way by chipping Holder down the ground for a four. In Holder's next over, Jaiswal also threw his bat around to pick up two fours, the first of those coming off an outside edge.
West Indies moved to plan B after that, with Alzarri Joseph bowling the short stuff. With the ball coming slower off the surface, Rohit twice miscued the pull but was lucky both times. From the other end, Warrican found Rohit's outside edge but it fell short of the slip fielder.
Jaiswal played the short ball much better, even pulling Joseph behind square leg for four. Having taken 16 balls to open his account on day one, he took just 31 deliveries to move from 70 to 100, displaying the versatility that was the hallmark of his innings.
