Virat Kohli
India skipper Virat Kohli may be at the peak of form but he is getting outclassed in FIFA by his teammates.IANS

Virat Kohli became the first captain to score a double century for India away from home, R Ashwin continued his love affair with the West Indies bowlers and India posted a massive first innings total on day two of the first Test match, to pile the pressure on the home team.

Control was almost guaranteed for India after Kohli's fantastic century on the opening day gave India the advantage and that control only increased when the captain and his offspinning all-rounder went about building a big partnership for the fifth wicket.

The two overnight batsmen put on 168 runs together, with Kohli (200, 283b, 24x4) getting to his first double hundred in Test match cricket, while Ashwin (113, 253b, 12x4) helped himself to his third century in the longest form of the game – all against the West Indies -- helped by Shane Dowrich's drop off the impressive Shannon Gabriel (21-5-65-2), when the right-hander was on just 43.

India eventually declared their first innings on 566/8 in 161.5 overs, and with the West Indies openers – Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika – looking like they would see off the 16-over spell from India to end the day, Mohammed Shami struck in the penultimate over, finding the outside edge of Chandrika (16, 43b, 2x4) to give India further momentum going into Day 3. West Indies went into stumps on 31/1 in 16 overs, 535 runs adrift of India's total, with Kraigg Brathwaite (11, 50b, 1x4) and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo at the crease.

While Kohli was all about class and perfection in the morning, Ashwin had a difficult start to day two, finding plenty of outside edges which just skirted past the slip fielders and surviving a dropped chance, which wicketkeeper Dowrich, controversially picked ahead of Denesh Ramdin, should have taken in his sleep.

However, in between those iffy shots there were some delectable ones as well, particularly one off the back foot which flew through mid-on for a boundary. Kohli, at the other end, was not in flying mood in the opening session, but the runs kept coming quickly enough, with the skipper easing past the 150 mark, before, slowly but surely, inching closer to the double hundred.

Kohli got to 199 in the penultimate over before Lunch, and with the possibility of the skipper having to go into the break a run short of that magical mark looming large, a trademark whip through midwicket ended those worries. A raise of the bat and a kiss of the wicket followed as Kohli savoured a truly fantastic achievement, with the coach and ace photographer Anil Kumble clicking away from the dressing room, ensuring the moment would be captured for posterity.

When Kohli walked back after Lunch, the possibility of the great man even going on to make a triple hundred lingered – the pitch was flat and there was more than enough time to get to that mark, particularly if he upped the ante – but Gabriel put paid to those hopes as an inside edge off just the second delivery after Lunch crashed onto the stumps.

India, though, were in a really strong position by that time, on 404/5, and that position only strengthened further with Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha (40, 88b, 1x4, 1x6) putting on 71 runs together, even if those runs came rather slowly.

Once Saha fell while going for a big shot, Amit Mishra (53, 68b, 6x4) came in an had a bit of fun, helping himself to a half-century in the process as well while also enjoying the best view as Ashwin got to his century with a wonderful flick to midwicket for a boundary.

When Ashwin holed out in the deep to give Kraigg Brathwaite (14.5-1-65-3) another cheap wicket, Mohammed Shami came and tonked a few, but after Mishra was caught at midwicket by Jason Holder off Kraigg Brathwaite, again, Kohli declared, leaving West Indies a mountain to climb to save this Test match.