Ishan Kishan shares Virat Kohli's 'selfless act' as he bats ahead of ex-skipper vs WI

India won the first of the two Test matches against the West Indies as time entered the final day of the 2nd Test. India displayed a strong batting performance in the series after playing their first Test series after the WTC Final loss to Australia. On Day 5 of the final Test match, WI needs 289 runs to beat win the 2nd Test match and Team India will be eyeing to take 8 wickets to take home victory.

3 things you need to know

• WI were 76/2 on the stumps of Day 4
• Rohit Sharma made his fastest half-century in IND vs WI
• Ishan Kishan scored his first 50 for India 

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IND vs WI: Ishan thanked 2 Indian players specifically after his maiden half-century

On Day 4 of the 2nd Test match between India and the West Indies, an exciting development occurred when wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan stepped up to smash an amazing half-century in just 34 balls. As a result of his outstanding effort, skipper Rohit Sharma declared on 181/2 in the second innings, giving the West Indies a challenging 365-run target. Given that Ishan had received criticism for batting in the ongoing series, this remarkable accomplishment was all the more impressive.

Ishan's batting approach during his innings was similar to that of Rishabh Pant, another skilled Indian wicket-keeper batsman noted for his aggressive and explosive style of play. It was interesting to hear Ishan say that Rishabh Pant himself had provided him with helpful advice while they were teammates at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

I was at NCA before coming here. I was practicing there, and Rishabh was also there for his rehab. He just gave me a few pointers, and asked me about my bat position and everything. Since we have played together in so many matches and have been together since the under-19 days, he knows how I play and what my mindset is. So he helped me a little bit with my bat position and other aspects of my game. I really appreciate him taking the time to chat with me, and I am truly thankful for that,

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Hey Rishabh Pant - Ishan Kishan thanks you 😊#TeamIndia | #WIvIND | @RishabhPant17 | @ishankishan51 | @windiescricket pic.twitter.com/hH6WxxJskz

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 24, 2023

What did he say about Virat Kohli?

Talking about Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan talked about his selfless act and credited him for giving him the opportunity to bat up the order and providing him the chance to bat at the number 4 spot in the 2nd innings. 

It was really special (the half-century). I knew what the team needed from me. Everyone backed me. Virat backed me up and told me, Go and play your game'. Let us hope we will finish the game tomorrow. It was Virat bhai who took the initiative and told me that I should go in. There was a slow left arm who was bowling. It was a good call for the team. Sometimes you need to take these calls,

Coming to the match, West Indies will be needing 289 runs on the final day to level the series and if Team India manages to take 8 remaining wickets on the final day then the Rohit Sharma-led side will keep its 100% winning record in the current WTC cycle.