West Indies collapsed to 94-6 in reply to India's massive first-innings 649-9 declared by the close of the second day of the series-opening Test in Rajkot on Friday. The visiting batsman proved no match for their Indian counterparts, losing six wickets in a single session after the hosts had piled on the runs.
India captain Virat Kohli eased to a 24th Test century while Ravindra Jadeja celebrated a maiden ton in front of his home crowd, striking five sixes against a toiling Windies attack. Jadeja's century was indeed special, as it came after nine years since he made his international debut.
"Obviously, after nine years of international cricket, I am scoring a hundred, so it is a special moment," Jadeja said during an interview with Star Sports at the end of the day's play. "I am very happy. Whenever I reached 70-80 in the past I thought about getting a hundred but kept on throwing my wicket away.
"I have made big hundreds in the domestic circuit, so I thought I can get hundreds in the international level too. Today, I told myself that I need to reach the mark. I was really happy; whenever you get your first Test hundred it gives you a lot of joy," he added.
West Indies will begin day three trailing by 555 runs and facing an uphill task to avoid an innings defeat against India's spin-heavy attack on a pitch already offering turn. Roston Chase was unbeaten on 27 while Keemo Paul was 13 not out at stumps for the touring side. Mohammed Shami sent back both openers in a hostile opening spell of fast bowling when West Indies walked out to bat after the tea interval and then India's spinners made further inroads.
Earlier, Kohli made 139 while Jadeja remained unbeaten on 100, marking the occasion with a leap in the air followed by his trademark bat-swirling celebration. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, however, fell agonisingly short of a second successive ton.
The West Indies bowling attack, missing pace spearhead Kemar Roach and regular captain Jason Holder, appeared bereft of ideas in the face of an Indian onslaught as the home side, still ranked top in Tests despite a series defeat in England last month, added 142 runs from 29 overs in the first session.
The hosts continued their brisk scoring rate after lunch, adding another 143 before tea. India's batting mainstay Kohli, who started the day on 72, hardly broke sweat in reaching his century, bringing up the mark with a leg-glanced boundary off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.
The right-handed batsman hit seven fours in his innings and added 133 for the fifth wicket with Pant, who turned 21 on Thursday, during an entertaining partnership. After teenage debutant Prithvi Shaw's 134 on the first day, it was Pant who shattered West Indies' morale further with a knock of 92 off 84 balls.
Playing in his fourth Test, the left-hander, who scored a superb 114 in his previous innings against England at The Oval, fell when he got a leading edge off Bishoo to be caught at point eight runs shy of his century.
Kohli fell to debutant paceman Sherman Lewis after adding 64 for the sixth wicket with left-arm spinner Jadeja whose century came off 132 balls. Bishoo was the most 'successful' bowler for West Indies although his four wickets came at a cost of 217 runs.
(Inputs from Reuters)
