Tons from Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal powered India into supreme command on Day 2 of the 1st Test at Dominica. As the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma departed soon after bringing up his century (103), Jaiwal remained unbeaten (143) alongside former Indian captain Virat Kohli on 36.
Top order lays the roots for mammoth score
Jaiswal, who toughened up on ruthless Mumbai Maidans, enjoyed his finest day on a cricket pitch with an unconquered debut hundred as India seized complete control on the second day of the opening Test against the West Indies here.
Skipper Rohit Sharma (103 off 221 balls), also eschewed his natural flair en route his 10th Test hundred and a record 229-run opening stand with Jaiswal (143 batting, 350 balls) as India batted cautiously but still did well enough to slowly bat West Indies out of the game, finishing the second day on 312 for two.
In the whole day, India managed only 232 runs in 90 overs.
Jaiswal, who batted the entire second day, has the seasoned Virat Kohli (36 batting, 96 balls) for company as the duo added 72 runs for the third wicket.
India now have a lead of 162 runs and are expected to bat better part of the third day before Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is once again unleashed on an opposition that doesn't have enough technical wherewithal to counter them for two days.
Mumbai openers make the best on a dicey pitch
After 41 long years, since India's 1982 tour of England where Suru Nayak and Sunil Gavaskar opened, there were two Mumbai men opening for the country and putting up the best ever stand of 229 against the West Indies, beating the previous best of 201 set by Sanjay Bangar and Virender Sehwag back in 2001.
The Windsor Park track was a two-paced one where the ball gripped and there was some slow turn on offer. On tracks like these, it is difficult to score quickly but at the same time not too tough to hang around grinding the opposition to submission.
It was old fashioned Test match batting at its best. Jaiswal and Rohit did just that. Both trusted their defensive game when they found deliveries gripping, waited for the loose deliveries, as none of the West Indies bowlers looked threatening.
Jaiswal's hundred is certain to bring in its fair share of euphoria among fans, as it is an endearing rags-to-riches success story.
