Rohit Sharma unbeaten on 54 as India end first day on a high

Shikhar Dhawan, K.L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma all struck half-centuries as India started their Caribbean tour on a high. India was playing their first warm-up game against West Indies Board President XI at Basseterre. Captain Kohli had won the toss and opted to bat first. The openers gave the team a solid start. Shikhar Dhawan and K.L.Rahul put up a 93-run opening scoring 51 and 50 runs respectively. The southpaw from Delhi retired and the youngster from Karnataka both retired after their half-centuries. Skipper Virat Kohli fell cheaply for 14 runs, while Ajinkya Rahane managed to add only 5 runs to the tally. Rohit Sharma ended the day with his fruitful half-century. Cheteswar Pujara retired after scoring 34 runs and keeper Wriddhiman Saha was caught at short-leg for 22. India ended the day with 258 runs on the board with the loss of 3 wickets.

The West Indian pacers were unable to make a breakthrough upfront on a flat wicket, yet the Indian batsman played cautiously and avoided risky shots. Once the spinners came in, India showed interest in scoring runs.

Dhawan scored his half-century facing 88 balls with the help of seven boundaries. As per the reports of the Deccan Chronicles, he looked pretty composed throughout the innings, just as K.L.Rahul who took 99 balls to complete his fifty. Rahul hit five boundaries and a six on his way to 50. Though both of them started their innings slowly they played free-flowing shots later on.

Middle order batsmen, Pujara and Kohli also started their innings slowly nudging the ball around for singles and scoring boundaries at intervals. Pujara scored 5 boundaries and faced 102 balls for his 34 runs before he was called back. Rohit Sharma showed character when he stabilised the middle order with the company of Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra. Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten innings of 54 runs at the end which accompanied 8 boundaries and a lone six.

India are likely to bat out the first hour of the second day, with Sharma given a chance to increase his score, batting with the lower order. They are scheduled to play another three-day warm-up match ahead of the first test beginning on July 21, at Antigua.