Destructive Ravindra Jadeja breaks MS Dhoni's Test record during half-century in Ahmedabad clash

India found themselves in the driver's seat in the first Test against the West Indies and took a step into the declaration direction with Ravindra Jadeja and Dhuv Jurel stitching a century partnership at a competent rate in the post-lunch session. India lost both their set batters, skipper Shubman Gill in the morning session and KL Rahul in the second, immediately after he brought up his 11th Test hundred. Jadeja came out with intent and ended up scoring a 75-ball half-century.

The southpaw dealt in boundaries, hitting three fours and four big sixes and achieved a massive feat. With those four sixes, Jadeja took his big-hitting tally to 79, one more than MS Dhoni, as he inched closer to former India skipper Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant is currently tied with Virender Sehwag at the top, smashing 90 sixes for India in Tests (the latter has one more in the ICC game), with Rohit in the third spot at 88.

Most sixes for India in Tests

90 - Rishabh Pant (in 82 innings)
90 - Virender Sehwag (in 178 innings)
88 - Rohit Sharma (in 116 innings)
79 - Ravindra Jadeja (in 129 innings)*
78 - MS Dhoni (in 144 innings)

Jadeja has been in magnificent batting form, coming off a century and three fifty-plus scores in England, and began the home season well with the bat again, even though he went wicketless in the bowling innings. Dhruv Jurel provided perfect support to Jadeja from the other end, letting the latter play his shots, while staying solid and playing the ball on merit holding his own.

Jurel completed his second Test fifty and India extended their lead to 164 until tea. A 100 more runs in the final session and India might be thinking on the lines of declaration in a bid to get the game done by the third day.