WI vs IND: 1st Test Review – Ashwin routs West Indies

Day 3 of the West Indies vs India game saw the visitors clinching a victory by an innings and 141 runs as Ravichandran Ashwin’s record-breaking spell helped the Indian side wind things up early. After Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dream debut, and a decent show by Virat Kohli with the bat, India declared the innings at 421/5 with a 271-run lead over the hosts.

West Indies, who had a poor outing in the first session, failed miserably in the second innings too as the batters did not have any answers to Ashwin’s spin. The hosts lost four wickets in the second session as Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared two wickets apiece. But the final session was completely dominated by the senior spin-bowling all-rounder.

While Mohammed Siraj managed to get one in his kitty, Ashwin added five more wickets to his name to finish with a seven-wicket haul and register figures of 7/71. He also registered the best-ever bowling figures by an Indian in West Indies as the hosts were bundled out for 130. India’s dominance over all three days saw them winning the game and taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Talking Points from Day 3:

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dream debut

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked to become the first Indian batter to score a double-ton on debut, but his dreams were crushed by Alzarri Joseph, who dismissed him on Day 3 of the Test. Jaiswal eventually finished with a score of 171(387, which is the third-highest individual score by an Indian batter on debut. For his marathon innings, Jaiswal was also adjudged the Player of the March award.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s record-breaking spell

Ashwin entered his name in record books as he broke multiple records with his spell of 7/71. He registered his best bowling figures in an Away Test, bettering his previous best of 7/83. He also equalled Anil Kumble’s record for the most ten-wicket hauls in a Test match, taking his tally to eight. With a five-for in the first innings and a seven-wicket haul in the second, Ashwin registered the best-ever bowling figures by an Indian bowler on the Caribbean land, recording 46-13-131-12.

West Indies’ failure

The Caribbean team last defeated India in a Test match in the year 2002, and since then they have failed to grab a single victory. Since the year 2006, the two teams have played 21 matches with 13 ending in India’s favor and eight resulting in a draw. West Indies’ poor run continued in the Dominica Test too, as India thrashed them to a humiliating defeat.