Ahmedabad: India’s batting depth asserted itself with remarkable dominance on the second day of the opening Test in Ahmedabad, as KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja all struck centuries to push the home side into a commanding position. At stumps, India stood tall at 448 for 5, establishing a lead of 286 runs over the West Indies, who had earlier folded for 162.
Rahul, who had not scored a Test century at home since 2016, brought relief and delight with his patient 100, marking the moment with a celebration dedicated to his new-born daughter. Jurel, meanwhile, announced himself on the international stage with a maiden Test hundred, his compact technique and calm temperament suggesting the makings of a long career. His celebration, a salute to his army-man father, underscored the emotional weight of the innings.
The innings, however, belonged to Ravindra Jadeja, whose counter-attacking 104* came on a crumbling surface that briefly offered hope to the visiting spinners. Jadeja charged down the track with intent, seizing boundaries off length balls and refusing to be contained. Seven of his eleven fours and a towering six came from such aggressive advances. His fluency against spin revived memories of India’s attacking batting displays in England earlier this year.
For the West Indies, a day that had begun with promise quickly unravelled. Jayden Seales bowled with heart and generated movement, but a conservative field denied him a deserved wicket when Rahul edged early in the morning. The spinners, Roston Chase, Jomel Warrican and Khary Pierre, toiled tirelessly, but their combined figures of 4 for 283 in 82 overs reflected India’s dominance. Pierre, at least, had a personal milestone to savour claiming his first Test wicket at the age of 34 after a decade-long domestic grind.
India’s three-centurion feat at home was last witnessed in 2018, also against the West Indies. With such a lead already in hand, Rohit Sharma’s men have ensured that the contest is firmly in their grasp, and the tourists will need extraordinary resolve to delay the inevitable outcome.
