On Sunday, Team India showcased their baseball mode after Mohammed Siraj’s impressive five-wicket haul helped dismiss West Indies for 255 runs. This gave India a commanding 183-run lead in the first innings. The opening duo of Yasasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma swiftly achieved a 98-run partnership in just 71 balls, with Sharma scoring his fastest Test fifty. Following their dismissals within consecutive overs, it was expected that Virat Kohli would continue the momentum after his stunning century in the first innings. However, in a surprising move, Ishan Kishan walked out to bat at No.4 instead. Kishan later explained the reasoning behind this decision and the role of former captain Kohli in it.
Ishan Kishan achieved his maiden Test half-century against West Indies in the 2nd Test.
Rohit Sharma fell in the 12th over after scoring 57 off 44 balls, and shortly after, Yashasvi Jaiswal also departed without reaching the fifty-run mark for the first time in the series. While it was expected that Shubman Gill and Kohli would contribute to India’s dominance, Kishan provided support to Gill instead. Despite being only 20 years old, Kishan demonstrated his talent by scoring a quickfire 34-ball 52, his first half-century in Test cricket. India eventually declared their second innings at 181 for two.
After the rain-hit Day 4 concluded, Kishan revealed that it was Kohli who encouraged him to bat at No.4 and play his natural game.
“Scoring the half-century was really special. I knew what the team required from me, and everyone supported me. Virat backed me and told me to play my game. Hopefully, we can complete the game tomorrow. It was Virat bhai who took the initiative and told me to go in. There was a slow left-arm bowler, so it was a good decision for the team. Sometimes you need to make these calls,” said Kishan after the day’s play.
Kishan also mentioned, “Our plan was to play 10-12 overs after the rain break and score 70-80 runs. We wanted to set a target of 370-380.”
India set a massive target of 365 runs for West Indies. At the end of Day 4, West Indies were at 76 for two, with R Ashwin taking both wickets. The hosts are still 289 runs away from an unlikely victory.