Watch: Rohit Sharma brought up his 25th Test fifty-plus score in style today (July 20), pulling Kemar Roach for six in a trademark shot of his on Day one of the second Test between West Indies and India.
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West Indies won the toss and put the visitors into bat on what looked like a decent surface without many demons in it. The hosts made two changes to their XI, bringing in Shannon Gabriel for Rahkeem Cornwall, and 22-year-old debutant Kirk McKenzie in place of Raymon Reifer. India, meanwhile, handed a Test cap to fast bowler Mukesh Kumar in place of Shardul Thakur, who was ruled out due to a niggle.
Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal carried on from where they left in the first Test, only this time they looked much more assured and played more shots than they did in the previous game.
The first boundary of the match was a six off the bat of Rohit, who nailed a pull off Roach in the fifth over of the innings. Jaiswal followed it up with a similar shot in the very next over to register his first six and second boundary of the innings.
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By the end of the 18th over, India had raced off to 87-0 at nearly five runs per over. Rohit, who was batting on 48, and was looking to take on anything short, latched at the opportunity provided by Roach on the second ball of the 19th over.
The half-tracker by Roach sat up to be hit as Rohit rocked back and swivel-pulled it in trademark style over the square leg fence for six to bring up his 25th fifty-plus score in Tests and his second consecutive one in this series.
India went into Lunch at 121-0 from 26 overs, with West Indies already looking deflated.
Watch Rohit bring up his fifty with a trademark pull for six:
Rohit Sharma makes it 50 in emphatic style! 💥
His 15th in Test match cricket 🏏 pic.twitter.com/VjP4FXSWbV
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) July 20, 2023
