IND v WI, 1st Test: Rahul, Jurel and Jadeja centuries bury toothless West Indies

It seemed as though the Indian batters were enjoying an extended net session at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja all struck centuries as the hosts heaped pressure on a West Indies side that looked content merely going through the motions with the ball on Day 2 of the first Test on Friday, 3 October. | Ahmedabad Test, IND vs WI Day 2 Highlights |

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Having resumed at 121 for 2, India closed the day on a commanding 448 for 5, showing no signs of declaring. This was no Bazball-style charge, but rather a demonstration of patience and discipline, as India’s batters respected the conditions and applied themselves — in sharp contrast to the young West Indies batting group, who had squandered their chances by neglecting the basics of red-ball cricket.

Ravindra Jadeja brought up his sixth Test hundred, also his seventh fifty-plus score of the year, finishing unbeaten on 104. The all-rounder was the most attacking of the trio, striking five boundaries en route to his century, and ensured India capitalised on the platform laid by the top order. Jadeja looked completely in control, carrying on seamlessly from his strong recent form.

The day also stood out for the celebratory gestures that accompanied the milestones. Dhruv Jurel, scoring his maiden Test hundred in a rare home opportunity in the XI, paid tribute to his father, a retired Army Havildar, with a guard-of-honour style march. Meanwhile, KL Rahul marked his first home century in nine years with a gesture seemingly dedicated to his newborn daughter.

As India piled on the runs, Roston Chase and his men showed little proactivity on the field. They appeared tactically adrift, allowing the game to slip further from their grasp. Among the most baffling moments of the day was their decision to delay taking the second new ball, persisting with the old one for an additional 18 overs — a move that only served to blunt any remaining hopes of a breakthrough.

"And we were talking about how this mediocrity begins with the mindset. When the thinking itself is ordinary, then naturally the performance is also going to be ordinary. What it shows is that the team is playing with a very defensive and negative mindset," said ex-India opener Aakash Chopra, tearing into the lack of intent from the West Indies team.

An injury scare to frontline seamer Jayden Seales compounded their troubles, yet captain Chase displayed scant confidence in debutant pacer Johan Layne, leaving the West Indies’ attack looking both toothless and disheartened.

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On the very day the West Indies board unveiled measures, shaped by some of their greatest cricketers, to arrest the decline of the sport in the Caribbean, the Test team exposed its biggest shortcomings — the mindset to fight and the intent to go toe-to-toe with the best.

Few gave the West Indies a chance in India, especially after arriving in Ahmedabad on the back of a 0-3 defeat that included a humiliating 27 all out in Trinidad. Yet it was disheartening to see both batters and bowlers fail to apply themselves, never truly giving themselves a chance to trouble the Indians. The gulf in class and intent was evident - reflected not only on the field but also in the empty stands of one of the world's largest stadiums.

- Ends

Published By:

Akshay Ramesh

Published On:

Oct 3, 2025

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