India Lead of 312 runs for 2 wickets (Jaiswal 143*, Rohit 103) west indies 150 to 162 runs
After starting the day on 80 without loss, Jaiswal and Rohit showed great patience during their 229-run partnership. This was the first time in Test cricket that India took a lead in the first innings without losing a wicket.
However scoring runs was not easy. India could score only 232 runs in 90 overs on the second day despite losing only two wickets. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite used nine bowlers, with Rahkeem Cornwall being the most dangerous. However, Cornwall had to leave the field in the first session due to a chest infection and did not return.
Before this Test, Shubman Gill had told India coach Rahul Dravid that he wanted to bat at number 3. However, the move did not bring immediate success to Gill, as he dismissed Jomel Warrican at second slip for 6.
Due to the spinners getting turn and bounce, West Indies delayed taking the second new ball until the 101st over. In search of one more wicket, he even burnt two reviews against Kohli but India survived that period.
With the second new ball in the third over, Kemar Roach rapped Jaiswal on his pads but Richard Kettleborough rejected the LBW appeal. There was no review left for West Indies and replays showed that the ball would have hit leg stump.
The second new ball was just eight overs old when Brathwaite brought back Warrican. Then Kohli hit his first boundary with a cover drive after facing 80 balls. He celebrated with a punch in the air and a big smile. Till stumps, he and Jaiswal had added 72 runs for the third wicket.
In the morning, Jason Holder and Roach bowled outside off good lengths and conceded just 19 runs in the first nine overs of the day. The first boundary with the bat came in the tenth inning when Jaiswal pulled Joseph to complete his half-century. The shot also completed India’s first opening century partnership in 23 innings since KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 runs against South Africa at Centurion in December 2021.
After the first drinks interval, Rohit also completed his half-century. He also had some advice for Jaiswal whenever the young player looked impatient or played a loose shot.
Cornwall were getting help from the surface and challenged Jaiswal on both sides before the break. On the other hand, he pinged it on the helmet with extra bounce as the left-handed batsman failed to connect the sweep. In a much stronger wind than Cornwall, Warrican also got a big turn to edge away Rohit’s outside ball, but West Indies missed out by a wicket.
At the start of the second session, Jaiswal tried to increase the pace. He came down the pitch a few times against Warrican but did not have much success. It was Rohit who showed the way to the pavilion by hitting Holder for a four. In Holder’s next over, Jaiswal also swung his bat around to take two fours, the first of which hit the outside edge.
West Indies then moved to Plan B, with Alzarri Joseph bowling the short stuff. With the ball coming slowly onto the surface, Rohit missed the pull twice but was lucky both times. From the other end, Warrican got an outside edge to Rohit but missed the slip fielder.
Jaiswal played the short ball better, even pulling Joseph behind square leg for four runs. After taking 16 balls to open his account on the first day, he took only 31 balls to reach 70 to 100, demonstrating the versatility that was the hallmark of his innings.
Hemant Brar is sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo