KOHLI, JADEJA PUT INDIA IN COMMAND ON DAY 2 OF TEST AGAINST WEST INDIES
India skipper second fastest to 24 centuries as West Indies collapse to 94/6 at stumps on the second day
RAJKOT: It was business as usual for India captain Virat Kohli, who on Friday became the second quickest batsman after Donald Bradman to score 24 Test centuries. Kohli’s 139, bolstered by Ravindra Jadeja’s maiden hundred and Rishabh Pant’s flamboyant 92, took India to a record 649/9 declared against West Indies, who were tottering at 94/6 at stumps in reply.
Kohli did not massacre a depleted and inexperienced West Indies bowling attack like some of his teammates; only 10 fours were hit in a 230-ball innings spanning about four sessions.
But the India skipper’s fourth century of 2018 also sounded alarm bells for the famed Australian fast bowling unit with Kohli maintaining his ‘benchmark’ while expecting his teammates, who fell drastically short in England, to raise theirs and stick to it.
But the day belonged to Ravindra Jadeja. It had to be at The Oval last month, but he ran out of partners. Or it could have been at Mohali against England in 2016, but aggression proved too costly. A stroke off the toe-end of the bat ended his bid to get the maiden Test hundred. But not on Friday.
Jadeja had had enough of Kraigg Brathwaite keeping him contained, bowling fast and into his pads. Jadeja remained patient, but not for long. Another toe-end stroke, but this time he achieved what he had set out for.
Putting in a sprint to complete his single, Jadeja kept running, having achieved the elusive Test hundred, jumping in sheer joy, letting out a load roar, and fencing his bat like a sword, as always.
The celebration lasted so long that both Jadeja and Mohammed Shami failed to notice the dressing room signal of declaration, a couple of minutes before tea. India declared at 649/9 — their highest-ever against West Indies.
Jadeja came ahead of Ashwin, playing second-fiddle to Kohli but took charge when Ashwin (7) fell. Jadeja added a quickfire 55 with Umesh Yadav — with the tailender swinging his bat for a couple of sixes — and another 23 with Shami. Jadeja cracked five sixes and as many fours to score an unbeaten 100.
At The Oval, he was stranded on 86 not out, having shaken off the dust on his bat. He then went on to pick 4/79 to mark his comeback. The Saurashtra allrounder returned to the ODI side too, picking 4/29 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. He has been on a rise.
The visitors toiled for breakthroughs for five long sessions, but Mohammed Shami showed them how it is done in a matter of few minutes post tea. Brathwaite’s (2) off-stump took pounding with the ball nipping back in while Kieran Powell (1) was trapped leg-before.
Ashwin dashed West Indies’ hope, beating Shai’s (10) offstump, and an embarrassing mix-up between Shimron Hetmyer (10) and Sunil Ambris (12) left the visitors tottering with the Calypso Kings staring at a monumental task on Day 3.
In came West Indies’ tormenter-in-chief Jadeja again, to pick up a wicket on his first ball of the contest, getting Ambris caught at first slip. Later, Jadeja would have invited his captain’s ire by not running out Hetmyer, teasing the batsman who was at the other end of the pitch after the mix-up. Hetmyer even took his chance and Jadeja broke the stumps finally from a few yards’ distance.
West Indies’ misery on Friday ended at stumps with Roston Chase (27 not out) battling with Keemo Paul (13 not out), staring at a 555-run deficit with three more days left.