Gill , Jadeja shines as India take control of 2nd test vs West Indies

 

Riding on a majestic 175 from Yashasvi Jaiswal and an unbeaten 129 from Shubman Gill, India piled up a mammoth first-innings total of 518 in the second Test. In reply, West Indies began steadily but lost their way in the final session, ending the second day in trouble at 140 for 4.

When Gill brought up his sparkling century, India were already cruising at 485 for 4. He and Dhruv Jurel accelerated the scoring rate thereafter, swiftly taking India past the 500-run mark. Jurel fell for a well-made 44, after which Gill declared the innings at 518 for 4.

Chasing the daunting total, West Indies openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul adopted a cautious approach against Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. However, neither could find an early breakthrough. In the seventh over, skipper Gill turned to Ravindra Jadeja, who made an immediate impact—Campbell fell for 10, brilliantly caught by Sudharsan at forward short leg, leaving the visitors at 21 for 1.

Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze then steadied the innings with a composed 66-run partnership, hinting at a possible fightback. But Jadeja struck again, removing Chanderpaul for 34 to break the stand. Soon after, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Athanaze for 41, and Jadeja followed up by trapping captain Roston Chase for a duck in the very next over. By stumps, Shai Hope (31)* and Imlach (14)* held firm, but the Caribbean side remained in deep trouble at 140 for 4, still trailing by 378 runs. Jadeja finished the day as the star with 3 wickets, while Kuldeep claimed one.

Earlier in the day, India resumed on 318 for 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where a lively Saturday crowd witnessed a mix of delight and disappointment. The morning brought heartbreak as a misunderstanding between the batters led to Jaiswal’s run-out, cutting short his magnificent innings just 25 runs shy of a double century. After his departure, Gill found support from debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, and together they added 91 valuable runs. Reddy fell for 43 while attempting an aggressive shot off Warrican, but Gill remained unflustered.

Displaying remarkable composure and timing, Gill reached his 10th Test century, a testament to his growing maturity as a leader and batsman. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, continuing his fine form after a century in the previous match, contributed another assured 44. In the absence of Rishabh Pant, Jurel once again proved his reliability behind and in front of the stumps.

By the close of Day 2, India’s dominant batting and Jadeja’s incisive spin had put them firmly in control — ahead by a commanding 378 runs, with West Indies struggling to stay afloat.