Kohli's 12th Test ton gives India Day 1 honours vs Windies

Kohli completes 3000 Tests runs. His last 1000 runs were the fastest to come, as he took only 20 innings to score them.

India 302 for 4 at stumps; Kohli batting 143 

Skipper Virat Kohli scored a splendid unbeaten century to guide India to a comfortable 302 for the loss of four wickets at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies, in Antigua, on Thursday.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kohli carried his limited-overs' form into Tests and scored an effortless 143 off 197 balls, which was laced with 16 boundaries.

He was batting with Ravichandran Ashwin (22), when play ended on the opening day of a four-Test series in the Caribbean Islands. 

• Scorecard

Opener Dhawan (84) had earlier played a useful knock, adding 105 runs for the third wicket before he was dismissed by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Bishoo was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, claiming three vital wickets in the form of Cheteshwar Pujara, Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane.

The day though clearly belonged to India's captain, who displayed a wide array of strokes to take advantage of a disappointing Windies bowling and completed his 12th century in Tests.

It was his maiden hundred in the Caribbean Islands and his fifth as captain of the Indian team.

Electing to bat, India lost their experienced opener Murali Vijay (7) early after he edged one following a barrage of short-pitch bowling from pacer Shannon Gabriel.

India were 72 for 1 at lunch, and Dhawan walked out with Pujara (16) after the break.

Number three batsman Pujara did all the hard work against the Windies pacers. However, looking to attack against the slower bowlers, he was eager to get going in the second session and threw it away almost immediately as play began.

Bishoo was brought in to bowl after lunch, and off the fourth delivery of his first over Pujara played too early and lobbed the ball to point for an easy catch.

Kohli then came to the crease and assumed control of the innings. He did not attack overtly, but found a nice balance with his defensive work and was quickly off the mark.

Gabriel (1/29) bowled a short spell but was not able to trouble the batsmen after the spell earlier in the first session, even as Kohli quickly moved past the 3000-run mark in Test cricket with his first boundary.

Dhawan, who looked set for a well-deserved hundred, became Bishoo’s second scalp. The Delhi-based opener had shown immense fighting spirit until he missed a sweep and was struck right in front of the wicket.

The duo of Dhawan-Kohli brought up their 50-partnership in the 41st over and the 100-mark in the 53rd over, as the next fifty runs came off just 12 overs.

Ajinkya Rahane had looked steady in the company of Kohli and will be disappointed with the false stroke that cost him his wicket against Bishoo.

He mis-timed a pull shot to a ball which appeared to come slowly to him.

Earlier, India went in with five bowlers, five batsmen and a wicketkeeper.

Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami joined Ishant Sharma in the pace department, while Ashwin and Amit Mishra led the spin options.

West Indies handed a debut to Roston Chase, picking seven full-time batsmen, and left out fast bowler Miguel Cummins.

Pacers Jason Holder and Gabriel bowled with a plan and the latter in particular sent a barrage of short pitched stuff to test the Indian openers. 

• India's Tour of the West Indies