Rain Plays Major Role in Second Test at Trinidad as West Indies Escape with a Draw. Despite India‘s Best Efforts to Secure a Result, clouds foil their plans as Day 5 got Completely Washed Out Without a Single over bowled by the visitors. India would be crestfallen as this draw can hurt them in WTC 2023-25 cycle.
Rohit Sharma. Pic Credits: Twitter
India Wins the Series 1-0 and Shares 6 WTC Points in Second Test Match. Virat Kohli’s 76th International Century Shines as the Match’s Highlight, with Mohammed Siraj Playing a Vital Role in the 2nd Test match. Moreover, this marks India’s 9th straight Test series win against West Indies.
Top Performer of the Series
Starting with the First Test, the series standout talent is the young Yashasvi Jaiswal. He scored an aggregate of 266 runs in 3 innings, boasting an impressive average of 88.6, which includes one century and one fifty. His incredible knock of 171 runs in the first test will be long remembered.
Indian Captain Rohit Sharma also had a brilliant series under his belt, scoring 240 runs in 3 innings, including one century and 2 half-centuries (one of them being his fastest fifty in test cricket).
Yashasvi Jaiswal. Pic Credits: Twitter.
India’s former Captain, Virat Kohli, showcased excellent form, scoring 76 runs in the first test. The Second Test Match marked his 500th international appearance, and he made it a momentous occasion by securing his 29th Test century. With this feat, he became the 10th player overall to participate in 500 international matches and the first to score a century in such a milestone game.
Virat Kohli. Pic Credits: Twitter.
As for Ishan Kishan, who made his debut in the first match, he didn’t get an opportunity to score in the first test and remained not out. However, in the second test, Ishan Kishan truly shone, registering his Maiden fifty in the second innings after receiving the license to kill from the team management. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja also managed to score 50+ runs in the first innings of the second test.
Ishan Kishan Pic Credits: Twitter.
Talking about bowling performances, Ravichandran Ashwin left no stone unturned to pick the highest number of wickets in the 2-match series. He took 15 wickets in 2 matches with an average of 15. He also claimed two fifers in both innings of the First Test, which was played at Dominica. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj also played their roles perfectly, each taking 7 wickets in the 2 matches. Mohammed Siraj also won his first-ever Man of the Match award in Test cricket in the second test.
Ravichandran Ashwin. Pic Credits: Twitter
What is Next for Team India
India’s red ball cricket is on hold until December as the next test series is scheduled to be played in South Africa later this year. Several major events are lined up, such as the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup, and India’s main focus will be on white-ball cricket from now on. Moreover, India is going to host the ICC World Cup 2023.
Indian Cricket Team. Pic Credits: Twitter
As the test series concluded, it’s now time for white-ball cricket, with India set to play against West Indies in 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is. Rohit Sharma will lead India in the ODI series starting on 27th July, while Hardik Pandya will captain the side in the T20Is, which begin on 3rd August. The first two ODIs will be played in Barbados, and the third and final ODI will take place in Trinidad on 1st August. India would be aiming for a clean sweep in both series, as the full-fledged team is touring West Indies for ODIs.
