Kohli cruises to 12th Test ton as India end day one

Kohli had scored his maiden Test double hundred in the morning session and in doing so, became the first Indian skipper to scored a Test doubled hundred overseas.

India’s Umesh Yadav bowls to West Indies’ Rajendra Chandrika during day two of their first cricket Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Friday, July 22, 2016.

Standing firm on the pitch, Virat Kohli will now look to prolong his innings and take a first innings massive lead.

At the interval, India were 404 for four in their first innings with “all-rounder” Ravichandran Ashwin on an unbeaten 64.

Just as they were looking good, Rahane was dismissed, a loose stroke off Devendra Bishoo (3-108) lobbing up and he was caught at short mid-wicket.

In the meantime, the duo kept the run-rate flowing, bringing up the 200-mark in the 61st over.

India had started off the day at their overnight score of 302/4, with the two batsmen looking to bat as long as possible.

Thereafter, with 22 overs remaining in the day’s play, it was surprising to see Ashwin come out to bat ahead of Wriddhiman Saha.

Famed for his adventurous attacking instincts in all forms of the game, the left-handed opening batsman displayed admirable restraint in the early exchanges against bowling that lacked any real pace and potency, with the notable exception of Shannon Gabriel, who caused alarms for the Indian opening pair with his raw pace.

Dhawan made 84 as Virat Kohli starred with an unbeaten 143, with India reaching 302-4 at stumps in Antigua on Thursday.

Earlier, Dhawan scored his third Test half-century and put on 105 runs with Kohli to help ease the pressure after lunch. Mishra’s enterprise at the other end, his fourth half-century, off only 68 balls, gave India the push they needed.

In the overs that followed, Kohli tried a lot of attacking combinations: three slips and a gully, an extra gully and really full outswingers, short leg and backward short leg for short-pitched bowling, and his trump card R Ashwin. Then he induced another edge in the 98th over of the innings – and the 8th of the morning – only for keeper Shane Dowrich to put down a regulation chance.

Meanwhile, Kohli continued his march without any discomfort at all.

That India could entertain a declaration with more than an hour to stumps was down to Kohli’s scoring rate.

The 50-mark came up for India in the 24th over, and Dhawan-Pujara brought up the 50-partnership for the second wicket off 118 balls, just before the lunch break. Kohli went past his previous highest Test score of 169 (against Australia) with a four off Bishoo and closed in on his double hundred.