Ahmedabad, Oct 3 (IANS) Riding on centuries from KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Ravindra Jadeja, India continued to pile the misery on the West Indies by reaching 448/5 in 128 overs and stretching their lead to a daunting 286 runs at stumps on Day Two at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Friday.

With the West Indies struggling to make breakthroughs, India now hold a firm grip on the contest heading into Day Three. The final session belonged entirely to India, who added 122 runs in 32 overs, with Jurel bringing up his maiden Test century and Jadeja registering his sixth ton in the format.

The pair’s 206-run stand for the fifth wicket was the defining passage of play, and despite Jurel falling late in the day, edging a drive to the keeper off Khary Pierre for 125, Jadeja marched on to be unbeaten on 104 and will resume on Day Three alongside Washington Sundar, who’s not out on nine.

The final session saw India add 122 runs in 32 overs, with Jurel and Jadeja continuing their attritional yet effective partnership, as the lack of wicket-taking options became evident. Things in the session were slow to begin, with the West Indies not doing much to pick wickets after taking the second new ball, while India weren’t attacking much.

Jadeja broke the boundary drought by driving Justin Greaves for four, before Jurel took boundaries via drive, pull, and flick off him and Pierre. Jurel then flicked through mid-wicket for a boundary off Chase to bring up his maiden Test hundred. After that, Jurel signalled a shift in gears by smashing Jomel Warrican for three fours and a six, before falling for 125 and becoming Pierre’s first Test wicket.

Jadeja, though, danced down the pitch to heave Warrican for six, and then brought up his second century in the last three Tests to continue his rich vein of form in the format. With India’s lead swelling and more batting to come, including seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, India hold a firm grip on the contest while West Indies face a daunting task to stay afloat.

Brief scores:

West Indies 162 trail India 448/5 in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out; Roston Chase 2-90, Jayden Seales 1-53) by 286 runs

–IANS

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