India vs West Indies: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s patient ton on Test debut helps visitors surge ahead on Day 2 at Dominica

Yashasvi Jaiswal made the most of the opportunity handed to him by bringing up a patient century on debut on the second day of the first Test between West Indies and India in Dominica. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 143 at close of play, his measured knock the highlight of India’s steady batting display on the second day as they reached 312/2 at stumps, stretching their lead to 162. He shared a mammoth opening partnership worth 229 with skipper Rohit Sharma, who brought up his 10th Test hundred shortly after Jaiswal, and later stitching an unbroken 72-run stand with Virat Kohli, who remained unbeaten on 36. Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals batter Jaiswal, drafted into the side as an opener with Shubman Gill shifting to the No 3 slot, continued from where he left off on the opening day and converted the promising start into a big score. Read: ‘Yashasvi Jaiswal has arrived’, Twitter celebrates opener’s century on Test debut Jaiswal brought up the three-figure mark with a boundary off fellow debutant Alick Athanaze, taking 215 deliveries along the way and becoming the 17th Indian batter to score a hundred on Test debut. Jaiswal, incidentally, is the first from his country to score a century on Test debut in the Caribbean, and also broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s 38-year-old record for the most deliveries faced by an Indian Test debutant. “I think this knock was one of the emotional knock for me. I would like to thank each and everyone, especially selectors and Rohit bhai for giving me the chance to go and express myself,” Jaiswal said in a chat with the broadcasters after stumps. “I love Test cricket because it is always going to test you and I love that challenge,” added the opener. West Indies could prise out only two wickets on a typically slow Windsor Park pitch despite bowling tight, waiting 20 overs to take the new ball, and employing nine players to bowl. West Indies middle-order bat Athanaze earned his maiden Test wicket when he got Rohit and broke the massive opening stand. Athanaze’s 13 overs of off-spin compensated for the absence of Rahkeem Cornwall, who bowled his third maiden over then walked off in the morning session due to an apparent chest infection. Jaiswal and Rohit were restricted to 66 runs in 32 overs in the first session. But they were enough to post India’s first 100-run opening partnership in nearly a year. After lunch, Jaiswal and Rohit showed more intent without really getting their timing right. They passed West Indies’ total of 150 about six overs quicker, marking the first time India took a first-innings lead in a Test without losing a wicket. From the 215th ball he faced, Jaiswal paddle-swept a single to fine leg off Athanaze and celebrated exuberantly, raising his arms and leaping to punch the air.

Soon after, the batters owned India’s highest opening partnership outside Asia when they eclipsed the 213 by Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan in 1979 against England at the Oval. Rohit finally posted his 10th Test hundred with a cover drive to the boundary, then was out next ball when he gloved Athanaze off his thigh to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva. Rohit scored 103 off 221 balls with 10 boundaries and two sixes. Shubman Gill requested to drop in the order from opener to No 3 and made only 6 when he was caught by Athanaze at short second slip off spinner Jomel Warrican. India added 99 runs in the middle session but after tea only 67 runs in 32 overs. West Indies used up its third and last review trying to get Kohli out on 9 but he didn’t touch the ball. Without a review, West Indies rued what might have been when pacer Kemar Roach hit Jaiswal on his back pad on 133. West Indies appealed for leg before without success. Ball tracking showed it hitting leg stump. Kohli, content to help Jaiswal grind things out, took 81 balls to hit his first boundary and punched the air. By stumps, he’d used up 96 balls to make 36 without any trouble. But Kohli was playing second fiddle to Jaiswal, who had the highest score by an India man on debut outside Asia, and counting. Brief scores: India 312/2 in 113 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 143*, Rohit Sharma 103; Alick Athanaze 1/33) lead West Indies 150 in 64.3 (Alick Athanaze 47; Ravichandran Ashwin 5/60, Ravindra Jadeja 3/26) by 160 runs. With inputs from AP