SRT 200th Test Match Report: India vs West Indies – 2nd Test, Day 1

On a day when wickets fell like nine pins, India were trailing by 25 runs at the end of first day’s play in the second Test against the West Indies, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. By the time stumps were called, Sachin Tendulkar had entertained the crowd with a beautifully compiled 38 not-out; he was batting with Cheteshwar Pujara (34*). (Also Read: STR 200th Test Stats Highlights: India vs West Indies – 2nd Test, Day 1)

Although Tendulkar’s fans were a bit disappointed when India captain, MS Dhoni, opted to bowl first, it was business as usual for the teams even as the Little Master took the field for his 200^th and last Test. Meanwhile, West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul wore the national Test cap for the 150^thtime.

India’s spin twins – Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin – ensured that the fans’ disappointment of not seeing their hero bat didn’t last long. They skittled the visitors out for 182 by the end of the second session, thereby creating an opportunity for Tendulkar to take guard in front of his home crowd on Day 1 itself. And with Shane Shillingford accounting for Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay in the space of a couple of deliveries, the batting maestro came out to bat. He was welcomed with a guard of honour by Darren Sammy’s XI.

Vijay and Dhawan were milking the WI attack when Shillingford struck in the 14^th over to remove both. A well-judged catch by Chanderpaul, after Dhawan swept the bowler, saw the opening stand end for 77. And two balls later, Sammy’s catch to dismiss Vijay sprung the crowd to their feet to welcome the man they had come to watch.

As he walked down the dressing room steps, India’s No.4 batsman was greeted by chants of ‘Sachin Sachin.’ The fall of a wicket had probably never been celebrated more enthusiastically by any home crowd before. With his team precariously placed on 77 for two Tendulkar joined the young Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.  

The 40-year-old legend opened his account with a single off Shillingford, and in the bowler’s next over he sent the ball racing to the boundary twice. As the tireless crowd cheered on, Tendulkar took the team to 157 for two during an unbroken 80-run stand with Pujara.

Earlier, following the felicitations and presentations marking his 200^th Test, Tendulkar led the team on the ground, and MS Dhoni’s boys got down to business almost immediately. The newfound opening pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami got the ball to move and asked questions of the West Indies openers, Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell. Though neither Bhuvneshwar nor Shami may look as intimidating as pacers are expected to, the duo put the WI batsmen under pressure by tying them down.

Gayle was once again the first to return to the dressing room; this time sent back by Shami instead of his new-ball partner. The ball took the edge off the bat and rose in the air only to end in the hands of Rohit Sharma. India would have had Powell back in the pavilion ten overs later had Ravichandran Ashwin not dropped him on 21 off Bhuvneshwar. The off-spinner, however, accounted for Darren Bravo’s wicket a while later to render West Indies two-down in the first session.

Although India would have liked to have more than two in the bag to show for their efforts when lunch was called, the visitors must have been happy to have prodded their way to 93 for two in 28 overs at the end of the session. However, the second session belonged to the India as Ojha and Ashwin wrecked the WI line-up to turn the game in India’s favour.

In his second over after lunch, Ojha gave the hosts their third scalp. The delivery bounced off Powell’s bat-pad and was pouched by Dhawan at short-leg. Chanderpaul then took guard, and a ball later, he lofted Ojha over the mid-wicket ropes to get off the mark. With Marlon Samuels for company, he milked the Indian bowlers. The partnership, however, was halted for 43 by Ojha. Samuels poked at delivery and was caught by Vijay at first slip.

Eight runs later, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the edge off Chanderpaul’s willow and Ashwin caught it at first slip to end the batsman’s stay for 25. A few overs later, Ashwin dealt a double-blow to leave the visitors struggling on 162 for seven; this was his 100^th Test wicket. A superb one-handed catch by Vijay in the slips saw the back of Narsingh Deonarine, while Sammy was caught by Rohit Sharma for a duck a ball later.

In the following over, Ojha had Shillingford leg-before, and in his next, Tino Best nicked one into Dhoni’s gloves – giving him his 250^th career catch. Once again, having conceded the advantage after doing the hard yards in the first session, West Indies were reduced to 172 for nine. 

Ojha then brought the curtains down on West Indies’ first innings for 182 by claiming Shannon Gabriel, signaling the end of the session as well.

source: bcci.tv