Rahul, Jurel, and Jadeja’s Centuries Dominate as India Seizes Control in 1st Test Against West Indies

On a sunny Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Indian batters lit up the venue with their performances. Despite the stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue, being empty for the second consecutive day, K.L. Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Ravindra Jadeja provided plenty of excitement by each scoring a century, helping India extend their lead to 286 runs against a young and inexperienced West Indies bowling attack.

For Dhruv Jurel, it was his debut Test century, while K.L. Rahul celebrated his second home Test century after a long wait of nine years. Having last scored a 199 against England in Chennai back in December 2016, Rahul finally reached another home Test century after 3,211 days. His relief was evident as he flicked through mid-wicket, ran to the other end, and removed his helmet in celebration.

However, Rahul’s innings ended sooner than he would have liked, as he was caught by Justin Greaves at short extra-cover while attempting an expansive drive off Jomel Warrican’s delivery.

Nonetheless, Jadeja and Jurel put together a formidable 206-run stand for the fifth wicket, ensuring India ended the second day’s play at 448 for five, leaving West Indies trailing beneath a mountain of runs.

The morning session was relatively uneventful, with West Indies’ spinners managing to extract some turn from the rough. But it was Rahul’s cautious play that laid the foundation for the innings, eventually allowing Jadeja and Jurel to dominate the bowlers. This marked the third instance this year where three Indian batters scored centuries in a single innings, following similar achievements in Leeds and Manchester.

West Indies clearly felt the absence of veteran bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph in the opening session, as their young fast bowlers struggled to challenge Rahul and captain Shubman Gill. Their only chance to exert pressure came when Jayden Seales found Rahul’s outside edge, but the ball slipped through between the first slip and wicketkeeper, allowing the Indian batsmen to cruise past West Indies’ first-innings total untroubled.

Gill appeared composed, frequently finding the boundary and setting himself up for a substantial innings. The West Indies then altered their strategy slightly, bringing left-arm spinner Khary Pierre over the wicket to exploit the footmarks outside leg stump. This initially slowed the run rate.

Rahul’s reverse sweep inspired Gill to try the same, but when he attempted this against Roston Chase in the next over, he got caught by Greaves at slip, ending his innings.

The euphoria for West Indies was short-lived, as Rahul partnered with Jurel to stabilize the innings from then on, avoiding further setbacks before lunch. Although West Indies managed to slow the scoring rate, it was surprising that Jomel Warrican only bowled two overs before lunch.

Warrican demonstrated his skill, enticing Rahul to loft a delivery to Greaves at extra cover. Briefly, West Indies saw a glimmer of hope to bounce back, but Jurel and Jadeja’s presence kept India in command. Jurel launched Chase for the first six of the game over deep square leg, and Jadeja followed with two more sixes against Warrican over long-on.

Keeping the scoreboard ticking with well-rotated strikes and occasional boundaries, Chase reintroduced Seales, aiming to produce reverse swing with a new ball around the corner. However, this plan failed, prompting the West Indies captain to revert to spin.

Jadeja welcomed Warrican back with another six over long-on, extending India’s lead. By the time West Indies took the new ball in the 98th over, India had firmly grasped the advantage. Despite fewer boundaries, Jurel and Jadeja remained focused on reaching their centuries, compounding West Indies’ difficulties.

Jurel dedicated his maiden century to the Indian Army and honored his father, a retired Army veteran. Making the most of his opportunity in Rishabh Pant’s absence, the wicketkeeper-batter demonstrated his skill.

As Khary Pierre dismissed Jurel with a catch behind in an unexpected turn, Jadeja approached his century. Within just three overs, Jadeja not only reached his century but also became the second-highest Test run-scorer of the year, surpassing Rahul.

With India returning to Test cricket after a two-month break, the team’s approach to the home season was under scrutiny. Guided by Rahul’s example, India stayed on track. The seasoned batter celebrated his 11th Test century by kissing the badge, raising his bat with one hand, and placing two fingers of the other hand in his mouth—a playful gesture to honor his newborn child. This celebration was a heartfelt tribute to the new addition to his family and a perfect way to celebrate his century!

Published on Oct 03, 2025