New Delhi: Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir will host the Men in Blue for dinner at his residence on Wednesday ahead of the second Test against the West Indies at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, starting October 10, according to sources.
Sources added that Gambhir prefers the dinner to be held outdoors in his garden, but it will be cancelled if it rains.
India currently leads the two-match series 1-0, having defeated the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Ravindra Jadeja starred with an all-round performance—scoring 104* and taking four wickets—to claim the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
In the first Test, the West Indies won the toss and opted to bat first. Their resistance was limited, apart from a 48-run fourth-wicket partnership between skipper Roston Chase (24 off 43 balls, four boundaries) and Shai Hope (26 off 36 balls, three fours), and a 32-run knock from Justin Greaves (32 off 73 balls, four boundaries). They were bowled out for 162 in 44.1 overs. Mohammed Siraj (4/40) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/42) led the bowling effort, supported by Kuldeep Yadav (2/25) and Washington Sundar (1/9) with their spin.
India’s first innings was dominant, posting 448/5 declared to take a 286-run lead. KL Rahul (100 off 197 balls, 12 fours), Dhruv Jurel (125 off 210 balls, 15 fours, 3 sixes), and Jadeja (104* off 176 balls, six fours, five sixes) all scored centuries.
The West Indies’ second innings offered little resistance, with only Alick Athanaze (38 off 74 balls, three fours) and Justin Greaves (25 off 52 balls, four boundaries) providing notable contributions. India bowled them out for 146, with Jadeja (4/54), Siraj (3/31), and Kuldeep (2/23) claiming the key wickets.
India, two-time ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finalists, currently sit third in the WTC table, with three wins, one draw, and two losses.
