From the very outset, India signaled intent. Skipper Shubman Gill won the toss—his first as Test captain—and chose to bat on a surface that already hinted at batting promise. mint
The team stayed with the same eleven that crushed the West Indies in the opener. mint+1 Meanwhile, the visitors made two tweaks: Tevin Imlach comes in behind the stumps, and Anderson Phillip replaces Brandon King. mint
Morning Session: Cautious beginnings, promising signals
The match got underway amid polite expectation, as pacers Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip shared the new ball for Windies. mint+1 India opened with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. mint
They sized up conditions early, rotating strike, nudging singles, probing gaps. But the threat was ever-present: spin already freckled the surface, and Rahul—confident, positive—stepped out and danced down the track. mint+1 That boldness backfired. Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican tempted him, flighted it, made it turn—and the batter was stumped. Rahul, caught out of his crease, departed for 38. mint+1
Thus, the scoreboard read India 58/1 (17.3 overs) after the first wicket fell. mint
Lunch interval: India in control, platform laid
By lunch, India were 94/1 in 28 overs. mint Jaiswal (40, 78 balls)* and Sai Sudharsan (16, 36 balls)* held firm. mint Their partnership (58 runs) had steadied the ship early on. mint
They were doing the little things right—stretching, rotating, avoiding needless risks. Against a spinner’s map, they read lines, used their feet, and nudged until scoring options emerged. The Times of India+1
Post-lunch and afternoon: Acceleration and milestones
Once the lunch bell rang, momentum nudged gently upward. Jaiswal, waking up, began to pummel deliveries to the rope. mint Three fours in his first four balls after the resumption brought his fifty. mint
Sudharsan, too, joined the advance. A graceful drive through mid-off earned him his own half-century—his second in Test cricket, and notably his first on home soil. The Times of India Their partnership surged past 100 (by the second wicket), deflating West Indian plans for a resurgence. The Times of India
The scoreboard ticked—150, 175, more—and India seemed comfortable. The Times of India Jaiswal continued to pepper the field with strokes; Sudharsan balanced aggression and prudence. The Times of India
Looking ahead: What this session tells us
By stumps—or at least by the latest report—India is well placed. The start was solid. The wicket is doing just enough to remind batters not to stray. But the conditions offer opportunity.
For the West Indies, the task is clear: they must break this growing partnership, hope for a collapse, and maybe exploit what turns up later in the day. For India, the job is to keep ticking, avoid drama, and build first-innings pressure.
With this foundation, the hosts have already established the tone for the match. And if their top and middle order click—as they did in Ahmedabad—they could stretch this into a dominant performance once more.
