Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago]: India’s new opening duo of skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal made history on Sunday, as they became the Indian opening pair with the highest partnership aggregate during a two-match Test series.
Rohit-Jaiswal accomplished this during India’s second Test against West Indies at Port of Spain. In the match, Jaiswal and Rohit had a partnership of 139 runs in the first innings. They followed it with a quickfire 98-run partnership in the second innings.
Combining it with their opening partnership of 229 runs in the first Test during the first innings, they have added a total of 466 runs as an opening duo, the most by an Indian starting pair during a two-match Test series.
Overall, this record is held by Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie, who added a total of 479 runs as an opening duo during the two-Test series against Bangladesh in 2008, including a 415-run opening stand, which is still the highest opening partnership in a Test match ever.
The highest opening partnership aggregate for an Indian pair in a series is by Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan, who added a total of 537 runs against Australia in 1979-80. They are followed by Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (477 runs against Pakistan, 2005).
Rohit-Jaiswal batted at a run-rate of 8.28 in the second innings, which is the second-highest run-rate by an opening pair in a partnership that lasted for at least 50 runs. The highest run-rate by an opening duo in a partnership worth atleast fifty runs is held by England’s Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan, who batted with the run rate of 10 against Sri Lanka in 2002.
Coming to the match, India declared their second innings at 181/2, with Ishan Kishan (52*) and Shubman Gill (29*). With a lead of 364 runs, they have set a target of 365 runs for the Windies. Rohit Sharma (57) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (38) also played some quick knocks for India.
Earlier, in reply to India’s first innings total of 438, WI was bundled out for just 255 runs. WI trailed by 183 runs at that point.
Skipper Kraigg Braithwaite top-scored for the Windies with a knock of 75. Alick Athanaze (37), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (33) and Kirk McKenzie (32) also played some decent knocks for the Windies.
Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking 5/60. Mukesh Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin got one wicket.
India made 438 in the first innings. Virat’s century (121) and fifties by skipper Rohit Sharma (80), Yashasvi Jaiswal (57), Ravindra Jadeja (61) and Ravichandran Ashwin (56) proved to be instrumental in taking India to a massive total.
Jomel Warrican (3/89) was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies. Kemar Roach (3/104) and Jason Holder (2/57) also were among the wickets for the Windies.
