Rajkot: It was a long day for West Indian bowlers on the field as the Indian batsmen opened a run-fest posting 364/4 at the stumps after the hosts elected to bat on the opening day of the first test, here on Thursday. Teen prodigy Prithvi Shaw slammed a scintillating ton becoming second-youngest Indian Test centurion after Sachin Tendulkar. Shannon Gabriel took advantage of the prodigious green track which gave bowlers an edge dismissing opener KL Rahul for a duck in the first over. Rahul reviewed the decision only to lose his wicket to Shannon and a review.
What ensued after the dismissal of Rahul will go down in the history books. Shaw reached his hundred off just 99 balls to surpass the record of Abbas Ali Baig. The opener also became the fourth youngest player of all time to hit a debut ton. He along with Cheteswar Pujara together stitched a 206-run stand for the second wicket. But, ShermanLewis managed to get the much-needed breakthrough as Pujara edged one to the bowler for a well-made 86 when India’s score had surpassed the 200-run mark.
Shaw, was unrelenting and played an innings that delivered on everything that was expected of him – adventurous, calm strokeplay. On the contrary, his dismissal was soft. He handed a return catch to Devendra Bishoo and departed after a prolific 134 off just 154 balls when the Indian scorecard read 232/3.
Subsequently, skipper Virat Kohli Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane built on it with a century stand, but only one of them made it to stumps. Rahane tried to cut a Roston Chase’s delivery skidding away from him and in the process got too far leg side of that to middle it giving wicketkeeper a simple catch. The Indian vice-captain missed out on yet another half-century making 41.
Kohli was batting on 72 and was in sight of a century. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, on 17, partnered with Kohli at the close of play in Rajkot.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]