Kohli, Ashwin put India in command

Fri, Jul 22, '16

If India was inspired, and rose to the occasion, none more than Virat Kohli and R Ashwin, West Indies was dispirited, unimaginative and flat on the second day of the first Test at the Sri Vivian Richards Stadium in St John’s.

Kohli brought up his maiden first-class double hundred, in the process becoming the only Indian captain to score a Test double century overseas. Ashwin indulged his love for batting, the affable offie helping himself to a third Test hundred, building on Kohli’s magnum innings to put India in a position of strength. Some merrymaking from Amit Mishra allowed Kohli to declare on 566 for 8 and have a crack at West Indies’ openers. The dividend came soon enough, with Mohammed Shami providing the breakthrough, leaving a glum West Indies 31 for 1 when Friday’s (July 22) play ended.

India was well placed when the second day began, but there was still plenty of work to be done to ensure that promise and potential transformed into performance. West Indies, which had little means to attack save for Shannon Gabriel, could not replicate its discipline of the first day. Jason Holder called himself a workhorse ahead of the Test match, but he proved to be unequal to carrying the load long enough. Carlos Brathwaite’s military medium simply did not ask enough questions on a slowing surface and Devendra Bishoo did not have any joy.