Virat Kohli showed in Dominica that he can get a score without finding the middle of the bat too many times. He was hardly fluent in the first Test, but managed 76 on a pitch that was far from being a featherbed. That outing held Kohli in good stead as he salvaged India from a tricky situation on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Thursday. After a century opening partnership, India had stuttered to 182/4 at tea, before Kohli (87 batting) found a trusted ally in Ravindra Jadeja (36 batting) to prevent any further setbacks as the visitors ended the day on 288 The unbroken fifth-wicket stand has already yielded 106 runs. 50 on 500th 👑..#ViratKohli𓃵 #INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/0EuVH3Ctsb— FanCode (@FanCode) July 20, 2023 It can be safely said now that the disparity between the two teams in this series is condition-agnostic, and the difference is more in the discipline and execution of basics needed at the top level, especially when it’s most needed. The hosts came to the party a session late with four wickets but by then had allowed India to set the tempo of the second Test. The tourists had already reached a total that the home team hadn't managed in their first two innings of the series. Rohit Sharma fell short of his hundred by 20 runs and Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a fifty to propel India, but India will fret about the form of Ajinkya Rahane and Shubman Gill as both fell cheaply. However, after a splendid middle session, the West Indies failed to make any further inroads into the Indian line-up, handing the day’s honours to Rohit & Co. Kohli will no doubt take the plaudits for a solid rebuilding job, but Jadeja’s role can’t be undermined. The all-rounder comes to the rescue in similar situations so frequently that it hardly has the element of surprise now. Trademark cover drive from @imVkohli ..#INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/rBIIFdKTN3— FanCode (@FanCode) July 20, 2023 Familiar story If the West Indies played right into the visitors’ hands by preparing a dry and dusty pitch in Dominica, the surface in Trinidad was expected to be more to the liking of their fast bowlers. Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and hoped that early life and movement in the Queen’s Park Oval track would bring some joy, but the length and line required for the purpose was missing. The first ball of the Test was a short and wide one from Kemar Roach, easy pickings for debut centurion Jaiswal through the offside. The sloppiness with which the hosts started the game was carried throughout the first session. Short balls were followed by half-volleys, with the odd full toss thrown in. The lines were also too often too wide to persuade the batsmen to play. As a result, the early help in the track soon dissipated without any reward. Jaiswal was given two lives, one a high one over a leaping gully off a fierce slash, and the other a low regulation chance to Alick Athanaze off Jason Holder on the penultimate delivery before lunch. West Indies have crawled back into the game courtesy of some disciplined bowling!..#INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/S3oSs17doW— FanCode (@FanCode) July 20, 2023 Being bundled for 150 and 130 and losing a Test at home in three days after winning the toss could have meant that the only way for the West Indies to go was up. But it didn’t seem to be the case, judging by the lackadaisical approach at the start of the 100th India-West Indies Test. The odd ball did go past the bats of Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, but the good deliveries were invariably followed by inaccurate stuff that let the openers off the hook. Roach and Alzarri Joseph were the main offenders, prompting Brathwaite to bring on the returning Shannon Gabriel pretty quickly. He didn’t provide much improvement, and Jomel Warrican, the sole specialist spinner in the XI, was on after nine overs. The left-arm spinner provided some semblance of control, but still the 50 came up in just 10.4 overs, forcing Brathwaite to go on the defensive pretty quickly. Jaiswal was playing like a batsman coming off a 171 in his previous innings, and was into his shots pretty soon. The pitch was not quick enough for the pacers to test the middle of the pitch, and one such delivery was pulled with ease over deep midwicket for six, and he was soon advancing down the pitch to the seamers. Start of the fightback The left-hander is not the most secure outside off-stump, especially if the ball is angled across him, and the West Indians tried to feed his urge to go for his shots in that area. That ploy didn’t work in the first session as Jaiswal reached his fifty in only 49 balls, with the pair putting on their second successive century stand in as many outings. A total of 121 for no loss at lunch showed that Brathwaite’s decision at the toss had not worked out. The West Indies were much better when they came out for the second session, even though Gabriel overstepped frequently. Holder continued to angle deliveries across Jaiswal and the 21-year-old decided he had had enough of leaving the ball alone. After surviving some loose shots, he went for another drive away from the body and found gully. Gill, who moved down to No.3 to accommodate Jaiswal at the top of the order, began pushing at deliveries outside off-stump and it was only a matter of time before he edged one behind the wicket off Roach. All this while, Rohit at the other end was not at his fluent best, but solid enough to keep the bowlers at bay. He and fellow veteran Kohli, playing his 500th international game, then decided that discretion was the better part of valour and eschewed all risks. But the skipper was undone on 80 by a peach from Warrican, which spun past his outside edge to rattle the off-stump. Warrican’s name may not be included in the list of the best contemporary spinners, but his consistency makes him a dependable bowler for his captain, and he can get good players out if he gets some purchase off the surface. Rohit’s exit brought the under-pressure Rahane to the middle, with the match much more in the balance than it was at any stage in Dominica. Rahane, probably playing for his spot in the side, was understandably circumspect, trying to play out the rest of the session along with Kohli. But it didn’t work out for the Mumbaikar as Gabriel castled him with an in-dipper at the stroke of tea for just 8 runs. After managing only three in the previous game, Rahane will be hoping to get a second innings in Trinidad to probably save his Test career. Kohli, who had been scratchy during his innings in Dominica as well, surviving at least two chances, endured 20 dot balls before a straight drive off Joseph brought him his first runs, followed by a vintage cover drive for a boundary. It was undeniably the best session the home team had enjoyed thus far in the series, but they failed to build on it after tea and will have to show a marked improvement in their batting if they are to remain in the contest. They seem to struggle to put two good sessions together against top-class opposition, whether with the bat or the ball.
