Virat Kohli’s overnight score was 147. He got to his 150 with a straight drive that brought back memories of a former No.4 great. Kohli chants went deafening went that drive passed off his blade. Jayant Yadav stood up and admired it all at the other end. The admiration was mutual. If Jayant would drive like a photographer’s delight, Virat’s eyes would light up in appreciation. Gentle dabs in between the slip cordon and confident long hops down the ground to clear the inner circle for boundaries were all appreciated with delight from the Indian captain who rejoiced every run the duo shared in their 241-run stand for the eighth wicket. Then came the moment that the whole of Wankhede had been waiting for with bated breath. Kohli on 199; a flick through midwicket brings about the loudest roar at Wankhede since Day 1. The roar was to comeback after Lunch as Jayant gently steered a single to third man. The magical number had been reached. Three digits on the scorecard against his name. It was Test century number one for the young all-rounder. “I cannot explain the feeling in one word,” Yadav begins to talk about his run of emotions at that point in time. “There are a lot of emotions that you go through during that journey of making a hundred. When you have completed that hundred, there is a different emotion and when you are going through the journey, there is a different emotion. This morning when I started, I was 30 odd not out and I wanted to make a half century really badly. I wanted to contribute in this innings with the bat. I just went with the flow.” That he did as he provided perfect foil to Virat Kohli who was marching on at the other end. If Kohli was the lead actor in this play, it was Jayant who played the perfect supporting role. He looked confident, determined and most importantly positive in his approach. But, as he closed in on his century, Jayant agreed he had a few nervous moments. “When I was closing in on the 90s, I really felt a century was possible. I would be lying if I said, I was not anxious. I really was. I was lucky that I got one bye which was declared a run and helped me get to 97. But after that, I composed myself. You just have to maintain composure and control your emotions at that point of time.” His celebrations too were controlled. There was no leap in the air or a fist pump. Just gently removed the helmet and raised his bat to the dressing room and the crowd that gave him a standing ovation. “I was really confused how to celebrate,” he joked. “I am not a very big celebrations man. I just wanted to savour that moment. It was great to feed off the energy from the crowd. It is a lovely stadium to be playing cricket in. Afterall, it is the iconic Wankhede stadium. What more could you ask for your first international Test hundred. “A lot of credit goes to the entire team management that has created a very good atmosphere; a conducive and congenial environment in the dressing room that lets you be in a very good state of mind. It helps you to go out there and perform. The team kept in good stead along the way and hats off to them.” Having shared a double century stand with his captain who is the form of his life, Jayant had a lot to take away from his batting partner. Afterall, he had the best seat in the house at the other end. “It was lovely batting with Virat. I think the calmness with which he approaches any given situation is brilliant. He always brings a sense of calmness when he is on the wicket. These are things I could grasp from him while batting with him because this is the first time I am batting alongside him. “He instills that sense of calmness during the partnership. In case there was a close call or I played a wrong shot, he would come up to me and say, ‘It is fine, such things happen.’ If I got beaten, he would walk up to me and say, ‘Don’t worry, focus on the next ball.’ It was always about being prepared for the next ball.” Jayant’s maiden Test ton had patience and poise written all over it. His 104 was the highest score by an Indian number nine batsman in Tests. For Jayant though, this was just the beginning and taking this confidence in the innings forward. “I will definitely take the confidence from this hundred but not the scorecard in the next innings. As a batsman that is all you can do because the next day, it is a new start and a new inning. You can take forward the confidence, read the situation and bowlers well and just continue to work hard.”