Kohli reaches 24th ton as India pass 500 against West Indies

Captain Virat Kohli eased to a 24th test century while Rishabh Pant fell agonisingly short of a second successive ton as India added quick runs to their already massive first innings total in the series-opener against West Indies in Rajkot on Friday.

Resuming the second day on 364 for four, the hosts scored at a brisk pace to reach 506-5 at lunch, almost certainly batting the Caribbean side out of the contest. Kohli was unbeaten on 120 with Ravindra Jadeja 19 not out at the break.

The West Indian bowling attack, missing pace spearhead Kemar Roach and regular captain Jason Holder, appeared bereft of ideas in the face of an Indian onslaught as the hosts added 142 runs from 29 overs in the first session.

India‘s batting mainstay Kohli, who started the day on 72, hardly broke a sweat in reaching his century, bringing up the mark with a leg-glanced boundary off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

The right-handed batsman has hit seven fours in his innings and added 133 for the fifth wicket with Pant, who turned 21 a day earlier, during an entertaining partnership.

After teenage deutant Prithvi Shaw’s 134 on the first day, it was Pant who shattered the West Indies’ morale further on Friday with a knock of 92 that came off 84 balls.

Playing in his fourth test, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, who scored 114 in his previous innings against England at the Oval, fell when he got a leading edge off Bishoo to be caught at point just eight runs shy of his century.

That was the only moment of success for the touring side, who face the stiff task of likely having to bat last against India‘s spin-heavy attack on a pitch already offering some turn.

The second test of the two-match series is in Hyderabad from Oct. 12-16. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O’Brien)