While the morning session was considerably underwhelming after West Indies opted to bowl, the crew staged a formidable fightback, taking 4 wickets and proscribing India to 288/4 by the top of Thursday’s play.
“We were a little bit disappointed that we didn’t pick up a wicket or two till lunch but then we did well to get four wickets,” Benjamin mentioned after the top of day’s play on Thursday.
“Hopefully, tomorrow (Friday) we will have a chance to start with the new ball if we do, we hope to get a couple of breakthroughs and get ourselves back into the game,” he added.
Rohit Sharma’s elegant 80 and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s composed 57 offered India with a really perfect begin, as they mixed for a formidable 139-run partnership.
However, the momentum shifted within the afternoon when West Indies dismissed the 2 openers, Shubman Gill (10) and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (8), inflicting a brief lull in run-scoring.
Fortunately, India’s captain Virat Kohli (87 not out) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (36 not out) stepped as much as the event. Their unbeaten partnership of 106 runs put India again on monitor, setting the stage for a robust end.
“Kudos to Virat and Jadeja. They played very well, they are experienced. Virat is a very special player and the two took that session away from us, but overall it was a satisfying day.”
Kohli, taking part in his five hundredth Test, is 13 runs shy of his first hundred in an abroad Test since December 2018.
“If he is threatening (to score a century), then he will have to work for it, we will not hand it to him,” Benjamin mentioned.
During the second session, West Indies bowled with a well-defined plan and a transparent function.
Benjamim, who’s a former West Indies pacer, is optimistic that the bowlers can spearhead a comeback for the house facet.
“We have our plans for each batter, we hope our bowlers can stick to those plans, be patient. With Kohli and Jadeja, they will not make it easy for us so we have to work really hard, so we hope bowlers can execute,” Benjamin mentioned.
(With company inputs)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com