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Virat Kohli forged a century partnership with Ravindra Jadeja for the unbroken fifth wicket to steer India to 288-4 on the opening day of the second test against West Indies in Port of Spain on Thursday.
Virat Kohli reached close to a memorable hundred in his 500th International game after the West Indies put up a much needed fight to limit India to 288 for four at stumps on day one of the second Test here on Thursday. The opening duo of Rohit Sharma (80 off 143) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (57 off 74) shared a brisk 139-run stand to provide another perfect launch pad before the West Indies struck four times in the afternoon session to put brakes on India's scoring rate. Kohli (87 batting off 161) and Ravindra Jadeja (36 batting off 84) played some exquisite strokes in the final session and ensured India collected 106 runs in 33.2 overs without losing a wicket. Overall, 84 overs were bowled on the opening day. Kohli, who got off the mark with a straight drive after consuming 20 dot balls, will go into day two just 14 runs shy of his first hundred in an overseas Test since December 2018.
The Indian cricket team had only one change for the second Test against West Indies that started in Trinidad from Thursday. With Shardul Thakur out due to a niggle, India captain Rohit Sharma announced that Mukesh Kumar would be replacing the all-rounder. Mukesh is a right-arm pacer and plays for Bengal in the domestic tournaments. He has been on the fringes of the national team for quite sometime now. Mukesh got his maiden India call-up in September, last year, for the ODI series against South Africa. Then in December, 2022, he was was selected for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
India will be hosting the much-awaited ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in October this year. With this tournament, the Rohit Sharma-led side will aim to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought. The event will kick start from October 5 with defending champions England squaring off against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. India will be opening their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh stated that all the players in India's line-up have to step up as a team, in order to clinch the World Cup title.
Following an innings and 141-run victory in three days, no major changes are expected in the playing eleven but it remains to be seen if left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat gets another opportunity. The 31-year-old, who featured in only his third Test in 13 years, was the lone Indian bowler who did not pick a wicket in Dominica and bowled only nine overs. India spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja made merry on a track offering turn in the series opener and another turner is on the cards with the West Indies replacing batting all-rounder Ramon Reifer with spin all-rounder Kevin Sinclair.
Ahead of the second Test against West Indies in Trinidad, the Indian players caught up with some local fans. The Rohit Sharma-led side, which leads the two-match series 1-0 after decimating the hosts in Dominica last week, interacted with the fans. In a video shared by BCCI, captain Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, head coach Rahul Dravid, among others were seen clicking pictures and signing autographs for some local fans. In the video, a girl approached Rohit to sign an old photograph of him, alongside her.
Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers heaped praises on young Indian left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century on his international debut against West Indies in the first Test, calling him a "hot prospect for India in future". Jaiswal on his debut had smashed a marvellous 171 against the Windies and had a match-winning partnership with senior stars skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli that paved way for an innings win over the Windies in Dominica.
India captain Rohit Sharma re-entered the top 10 batters list of the ICC men's Test player rankings after his 10th century while Ravichandran Ashwin, following his 12-wicket haul in the series opener against West Indies, strengthened his numero position among bowlers. Rohit is the highest ranked Indian batter. The skipper climbed three slots to reach number 10 on the list on 751 rating points after India beat hosts West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in opening Test of the two-match series in Roseau, Dominica.