India Declares at 518 in 2nd Test vs West Indies: Gill's Masterclass and Historic Dominance
India stamped their authority on the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi by declaring their first innings at an imposing 518 for 5. The stellar batting display was headlined by centuries from young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Shubman Gill, followed by a strong spin bowling effort that left the visitors struggling at 140 for 4 by the end of Day 2.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's innings stood out as a near double-century masterclass, scoring 175 runs off 258 balls. His innings was a blend of patience and elegance, anchoring India’s innings alongside Gill. Unfortunately, a run-out due to a miscommunication with his captain stopped him just short of an extraordinary triple hundred. Jaiswal, at 23 years of age, was aiming to become one of the youngest to score three double centuries in Tests, but the chance slipped due to the mix-up mid-pitch as Gill declined a risky single.
Captain Shubman Gill rose to the occasion and crafted an unbeaten 129 off 196 balls. His innings consisted of 14 boundaries and a six, marking his 10th Test century and the fifth in 2025 as captain. Gill’s performance places him among cricketing legends as the third-fastest Test captain to hit five centuries in just 12 innings, behind only Alastair Cook and Sunil Gavaskar. Notably, Gill now holds the record for the most centuries by an Indian player in ICC World Test Championship matches, surpassing Rohit Sharma's nine. With this knock, he equaled Virat Kohli’s historic achievement of five Test centuries as captain in a calendar year, a feat Kohli reached in both 2017 and 2018.
The Indian team also made history by registering 50-plus partnerships for each of the first five wickets in a Test innings— a feat not witnessed in 64 years by any opposition against West Indies. The last occurrence was by Australia in the 1960 tied Test at the Gabba.
India’s bowling attack, led by spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, ensured continued dominance over the West Indies. Jadeja impressed with figures of three wickets for 37 runs, and Yadav added one crucial wicket. By stumps on Day 2, West Indies were precariously placed at 140 for 4, trailing by 378 runs, with Shai Hope unbeaten on 31 and Tevin Imlach on 14.
This commanding all-around performance extended India’s control in the series, following their innings-and-140-run victory in the first Test at Ahmedabad. India leads the two-match series 1-0 and looks well-positioned to seal a series victory on home soil.
The blend of youth brilliance, historic batting partnerships, and spin bowling dominance makes this Test an exciting chapter in Indian cricket’s ongoing success story.