Kohli’s maiden double-ton takes India to 404/4 at lunch

Off the final ball of the 102nd over of the Indian innings, Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, batting on 163, creamed a cover drive wide of the fielder for four. The shot was class, much like his innings had been, but what happened later told you everything you needed to know about how the first session was going.

Marlon Samuels was the fielder at cover, Jason Holder at mid-off, but both the fielders just turned their backs to the ball and walked away. No one wanted to go pick the ball up from the fence.

A few overs before that sumptuous boundary and West Indies’ lackadaisical approach to bringing the ball back, Shane Dowrich had put down a regulation catch behind the stumps. The catch would have sent back R Ashwin on 43, and given the home side a break. Gabriel had managed to induce an edge off Ashwin, and the ball went straight to the keeper. He grassed the chance. Nothing went right for the hosts in the morning session on Day 2 of the Antigua Test, on Friday (July 22).

At the other end, Kohli continued his superb knock and smashed his maiden double hundred. He went on to break a few records in the process. He notched up his highest Test score, scored his highest first-class score, set the record for the highest Test score for an Indian captain abroad, and became the first Indian captain to score a double hundred abroad.

The day started off with West Indies opting for the new ball and hoping to get back into the game with some early wickets. Kohli, who resumed at 143, quickly got to his 150 and continued to assert himself on the opposition. When Gabriel tried to bowl short, two men back for the lofted shot, Kohli went back and played the pull down the ground. When they pitched it up and bowled a tad wide, Kohli hit the ball back straight or slammed it past the cover fielder.

Ashwin, at the other end, helped himself to a couple of sweetly-timed boundaries off Holder as the pair brought up the 100-run stand.

Ashwin’s scoring slowed down considerably after the drop, scoring his next two runs off 34 deliveries, but Kohli continued to score freely. He went past his previous highest Test score of 169 (against Australia) with a four off Devendra Bishoo and closed in on his double hundred. A couple more delightful drives took him to 190.

Ashwin brought up his fifty with a fine back foot punch off Carlos Brathwaite – his seventh Test fifty. The right-hander was surprisingly promoted up the order, batting above Wriddhiman Saha, and his innings will go a long way in proving it was perhaps the right move. He hogged most of the strike as India went past the 400-run mark a few minutes before Lunch.

Kohli brought up his double ton in the last over of the morning session as he picked off Chase to the leg side. He went down on his knees and kissed the pitch after getting to the landmark.

India are in a supreme position, heading into the first break of the day at 404 for 4 and it looks like it’s going to be a long day for the West Indies.

Brief Score: India 404/4 (Kohli 200*; Dhawan 84, Ashwin 64*; Bishoo 3/131) vs West Indies