NEWS
Follow UsOn days like these, you can only wonder where West Indies cricket is heading. Despite winning the toss and opting to bat first, all they could manage to put on is 150 runs on board in the first innings. It was Ravichandran Ashwin’s 5/60 that set the game up for India with the ball, as West Indies were chasing the game.
But when it came to India’s batting, Yashasvi Jaiswal made it a living nightmare for the hosts with some sensational batting. Not only did the left-hander put on his zen mode but also batted with utmost patience and skills to score 171 on his Test debut, answering all kinds of questions that the Windies bowling unit asked of him.
In the post-match presentation, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was in awe of the left-hander, suggesting that at no point was Jaiswal panicking. Not just that, Rohit also stated that his job was rather easy, it was to tell the southpaw that he belonged at the highest level.
“He's (Jaiswal) got the talent. We knew about it. He's shown in past couple of years he's ready for this big stage. He showed patience. His temperament was tested as well. At no point did it look like he was panicking. I just had to remind him, 'you belong here.' My job was to just keep telling him he's done all the hard yards and to enjoy his time in the middle,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
India’s bowling pair Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were yet again amongst the wickets, with the pair just a few wickets short of beating the Indian record of most wickets for a bowling pair. Rohit was in praise of the pair, insisting that the results speak for themselves, with the duo picking up 17 wickets across both innings.
“The results speak for themselves. Both have been doing it for a while, so they know exactly what is expected from them. Don't have to tell them much, just about going out and giving them freedom to express. And when you have the kind of experience they have on these pitches, it is always a luxury. But you still have to pitch it... both Ashwin and Jadeja were magnificent, especially Ashwin,” Rohit added.
During India’s first innings on day three, there was a funny moment that broke the internet when skipper Rohit was seen gesturing to Ishan Kishan to get going. Rohit cleared the air, insisting that he wanted the southpaw to get off the mark before the declaration.
“I was just letting them know that we have an over or so and then declaring. I just wanted Ishan to get off the mark. Because he played 20 balls without getting off the mark. Wanted him to get his first runs in Test cricket and then we'd declare. But I understand, playing first Test can be nerves, he was waiting to bat all day yesterday too, so I wanted him to score one quickly before we declare.”
