New Delhi, Oct 11 (NationPress) Captain Shubman Gill showcased his exceptional form in Tests by finishing unbeaten on 129 – marking his tenth century in this format – as India declared their first innings at 518/5 in 134.2 overs during the second and final Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

Gill's unbeaten score of 129, achieved off 196 balls with 16 fours and 2 sixes, now stands as his highest individual score in home Tests, surpassing his previous best of 128 against Australia in Ahmedabad back in March 2023.

The declaration came shortly after Dhruv Jurel was dismissed by West Indies captain Roston Chase for 44. This impressive performance was driven by Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who contributed a significant 175, putting West Indies under immense pressure.

Starting from 318/2, India added another 200 runs before declaring their innings. Alongside Gill and Jaiswal, contributions from B Sai Sudharsan (87) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (43) helped maintain India's momentum. Gill's innings was characterized by precision and timing, and after reaching his fifty, he accelerated with an array of strokes to finish unbeaten.

Attention now turns to India's spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar to exploit the variable bounce and turn expected from the black soil pitch. Some deliveries, including the one that dismissed Jurel, kept low, while others turned sharply, providing support for India's spinners.

West Indies, who struggled to bat out 50 overs in either innings of the last Test in Ahmedabad, will strive to demonstrate greater resilience this time, as the pitch appears more favorable for batting compared to the previous venue.

Day two began with disappointment for India as Jaiswal’s attempt for a third Test double century ended in an unusual run-out. After driving a full delivery to mid-off, Jaiswal dashed for a quick single, but Gill declined the run.

In a dramatic turn, Tagenarine Chanderpaul executed a direct hit to the keeper’s end, and despite Jaiswal's desperate attempt to return, keeper Tevin Imlach broke the stumps swiftly.

Reddy, promoted to number five to gain valuable experience, narrowly escaped an lbw call on his second ball from Jayden Seales before scoring a boundary.

He was fortunate again when a drive narrowly evaded second slip for a four, while Gill found the boundary with ease through flicks, drives, and slashes, eventually reaching his fifty with a perfectly timed flick through mid-wicket off Seales.

Reddy received another lifeline when a catch was dropped at mid-off off Jomel Warrican, allowing him to advance on 20. He made up for earlier shortcomings against spinners by hitting Warrican for two sixes and a four.

A composed Gill received cheers from the supportive crowd as he elegantly drove a half-volley from Greaves through mid-off for four, followed by another boundary through extra cover.

However, Reddy fell seven runs short of his half-century while attempting a slog sweep off Warrican, resulting in a catch to long-on. With Gill and Jurel looking solid, India claimed yet another session before lunch.

Following lunch, with West Indies' bowling lacking threat, Gill swept Pierre for four, while Jurel displayed his strong leg-side shots to score quick boundaries. Gill then swept Chase for another four, marking his fifth Test century as India’s captain in 177 balls, earning applause from the enthusiastic Delhi crowd.

After this milestone, Gill accelerated his scoring by sending Chase for six, while Jurel received a reprieve at 39. Jurel, displaying impressive shot selection, attempted a pull on an overpitched ball from Chase but was bowled six runs shy of his fifty. As he departed, Gill joined him as India declared in the middle of the second session, inviting West Indies to face the remaining 43 overs in the day.

Brief Scores: India 518/5 in 134.2 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 175, Shubman Gill 129 not out; Jomel Warrican 3-98, Roston Chase 1-83) against West Indies.