India v/s West Indies Day 2: Its advantage India after batting heroics of Rohit Sharma and R. Ashwin

If Day 1 belonged to Shami Mohammad who broke the backbone of West Indies batting line-up, Day 2 definitely belonged to the other Indian debutant Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma, who had amassed 491 runs including a double hundred at an average of 122.75 in the recently concluded Australia ODI series, scored a debut century as he entered the record books by becoming the 14th Indian to score a hundred on debut.

Starting the day from an overnight score of 37 for no loss, the openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay could not give the good start India was looking for as a terrific spell of attacking off-spin bowling from Shane Shillingford sent back both the openers cheaply. The moment that the entire nation was waiting for came about when Sachin Tendulkar walked out when the score read 57/2, but his innings came to a premature end to Shillingford albeit a wrong leg before decision from umpire Nigel Llong.

When Virat Kohli walked back with India on 83 for five and as Shillingford’s fourth victim, India were in a precarious position but Rohit Sharma played a matured head as he pulled India out of deep waters, first by forging a 73 runs partnership with MS Dhoni, and then an unbeaten 198 runs partnership with R. Ashwin,

Rohit Sharma showed great temperament and excellent technique and along with R. Ashwin, who himself was quite brilliant with the bat, have now taken India to a strong position in the First Test.India finished the second day on 354 for six, leading the West Indies by runs 120 runs, with Sharma batting on 127 and Ashwin batting on 92 and nearing his second Test hundred. Skipper MS Dhoni scored 42 runs. Shane Shillingford finished the day with bowling figures 4/130.