Ahmedabad: Fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj (4/38) and Jasprit Bumrah (3/41) led a clinical bowling display as India dismissed West Indies for 162 in 44.1 overs on day one of the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
Electing to bat first on a green pitch West Indies were 90/5 at lunch, and are now bowled out by tea break taken early. Siraj set the tone for a dominating bowling performance from India as he picked three of the first four wickets to fall for the West Indies.
Siraj and Bumrah, also in fine rhythm at the fag end, shared seven wickets between themselves, with Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar amongst the wicket-takers. For the West Indies, barring some fight shown by Justin Greaves (32), it was a poor batting effort where the batting unit didn’t show the application and resilience needed for playing Test cricket.
The post-lunch session began with Siraj creating a steep angle into Roston Chase from wide of the crease and extracted a leading edge that was neatly pouched by keeper Dhruv Jurel. Siraj nearly had a fifth wicket when he trapped Greaves lbw, but the review showed the ball missing leg stump.
While the rest of the fielders showed visible disappointment, Bumrah was quick to console his fellow pacer. Siraj’s rhythm remained intact as his lengths consistently troubling the batters. Washington then struck by trapping Khary Pierre lbw, before Bumrah returned to castle Greaves and Johann Layne with his trademark inswinging yorkers.
Kuldeep closed out the innings when Jomel Warrican went for a reverse-sweep, but a sharp piece of glove work from Jurel ensured the catch was taken, as India walked off with a commanding position and a chance to pile the misery on an inexperienced West Indies’ bowling line-up.
In the morning, West Indies were rocked early by Siraj, who exploited the green pitch with swing, seam, and bounce to reduce the visitors’ to 42/4. He and Bumrah kept the stumps in play in the opening session and forced frequent errors.
Chase and Shai Hope tried reviving the innings with a 48-run stand, before Kuldeep castled the latter at the stroke of lunch. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, returning to Test cricket after 21 months, departed for a duck in the opening over after tickling one down leg to Jurel off Siraj.
John Campbell followed soon after, adjudged caught behind on review off Bumrah. Brandon King hit three quick boundaries before a moment of misjudgment – shouldering arms to a ball that crashed into middle stump off Siraj – left West Indies. Alick Athanaze showed brief resistance but fell after driving on the up and edging to second slip to give Siraj his third wicket.
At 42/4, the West Indies were in deep trouble and from there, Hope and Chase steadied the innings with a 48-run stand, showing intent against spin and capitalising on loose deliveries. Hope, in particular, looked assured, showcasing his back-foot play and measured drives.
But just as West Indies seemed to have weathered the storm, Kuldeep – playing his first Test in over a year – produced a peach when he got one to drift, dip in, and turn sharply to breach Hope’s defence on an attempted drive and rattle his stumps on the stroke of lunch. With five wickets in the bag and the pitch offering assistance, India didn’t break much sweat in wrapping up the West Indies’ innings in the second session.
Brief Scores: West Indies 162 in 44.1 overs (Justin Greaves 32, Shai Hope 26; Mohammed Siraj 4-40, Jasprit Bumrah 3-42) against India
(IANS)
