After a stupendous 139-run partnership in the first innings of the current match, Rohit and Jaiswal added a quick 98 runs in the second innings.
Combined with their opening partnership of 229 in the First Test, they scored a total of 466 runs, setting a new record for an Indian opening pair in a two-match Test series.
The overall highest opening partnership in a two-match Test series is held by Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie, who put on 479 runs during their two-Test series against Bangladesh in 2008. In one of their partnerships during that series, they put on a mammoth opening partnership of 415 runs, which still stands as a Test world record.
For India, the record for the highest opening partnership in a series (more than two Tests) is held by Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan, who added a total of 537 runs against Australia in 1979–80. Behind him is the pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who scored 477 against Pakistan in 2005.
In India’s second innings on Sunday, Rohit and Jaiswal displayed their attacking prowess, batting at a remarkable run-rate of 8.28, which is now the second-highest score by an opening pair in a partnership of at least 50 runs.
The highest run rate by an opening pair for a partnership of at least fifty runs is held by Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan of England, who batted at a run rate of 10 against Sri Lanka in 2002.
India declared their second innings at 181/2, with Ishan Kishan (52*) and Shubman Gill (29*) unbeaten, before Rohit Sharma (57) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (38) set the stage once again with a 98-run partnership. This set the West Indies a target of 365 for victory, and at stumps on the fourth day they were 76/2.
India’s rapid scoring rate ensured that they broke the 22-year-old record for the fastest team century in Tests CricketWhich was in the name of Sri Lanka till Sunday.
India crossed the 100-run mark in 12.2 overs (74 balls) to break the record. During the Asian Test Championship in 2001, the Lankan team reached 100 runs in 13.2 overs (80 balls) against Bangladesh.
Earlier in the match, West Indies were bowled out for 255 in reply to India’s first innings score of 438.
(with agency inputs)
