# Shikhar Dhawan has registered his highest score vs West Indies in Tests, eclipsing the 33 off 28 balls in the 2013-14 Mumbai Test. The pitch wasn’t doing much for the pacers and there were hints that it could help the spinners with Devendra Bishoo picking three of the wickets. The West Indies were looking lethargic in the field as the partnership sucked out all energy, even as the wait was now for Kohli’s impending milestone. There are few examples of extra bounce here and there but largely it is a flat track which will help the batsmen – unless, of course, there are any loose shots involved.
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The series and this Test are crucial for India as it is for the first time the side is playing a match under newly appointed coach Anil Kumble.
“If you speak about KL Rahul and someone like Shikhar, it’s very hard to take a call up front, in the first match of a series, because someone like Shikhar is a very dominant player, he can dominate sessions and bring you into the Test match, especially in conditions like West Indies”.
2208 hrs IST: WICKET! “The way he hits drives, the way he times the ball is really nice”, added Dhawan.
West Indies will be relying on a mix of experience in the form of Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo, while some of their younger players have already tasted the Indian bowling in St. Kitts.
2126 hrs IST: DOUBLE HUNDRED!
Virat Kohli was once again at his dazzling best.
2121 hrs IST: Kohli flicks off his hips for a couple, moves to 198.
He scored runs all around the park and finally went back to the pavilion after scoring a match defining 84 (147b, 9×4, 1×6). Ashwin is dropped by the keeper Dowrich and Shannon Gabriel is as expected not happy.
The hard-hitting wicket-keeper-batsman skippered the Asians from November 2008 onwards until restricting his worldwide duties to just white-ball cricket.
There was no seam, no unfriendly bounce, and the ball was too old to swing. It was comfortable height and the keeper should have taken that. Shortish delivery from Holder, Kohli gets into position and pulls it to long leg boundary. 153 runs from 208 balls! He upper-cut Gabriel for a six, swept Bishoo, stopped missing chances for singles; Kohli kept driving imperiously.
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Ashwin upheld that faith by playing some gorgeous strokes of his own and providing steady support to Kohli at the end.
Pujara looked untroubled on joining Dhawan at the crease with the pair putting on 60 before the middle-order player’s error of judgement brought about his demise immediately after lunch.
On Thursday (July 21), at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium, Cheteshwar Pujara fell four balls into the post-lunch session.
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Antigua: India opener Shikhar Dhawan has praised Test captain Virat Kohli for providing a solid base to the innings with his 12th century on day one of the opening match against the West Indies in Antigua. When the sessions were drawing to a close or were just beginning, Kohli was more assured and made sure he did not lose his wicket.
