India thrashed the West Indies in the first Test, winning by an innings and 140 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-game series. It was all one-way traffic at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, as it had been for the previous two days of the Test match.
India declared with an overnight score of 448/5, taking a 286-run lead in the first innings. Mohammed Siraj provided India their first breakthrough by dismissing Tagenarine Chanderpaul in the eighth over, with Nitish Kumar Reddy taking a stunning catch. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed fellow opener John Campbell in the eleventh over.
Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Brandon King and Roston Chase in consecutive overs. The Saurashtra all-rounder maintained his attack, dismissing Shai Hope to conclude the 21st over. West Indies lost half of their team with only 46 runs on the board.
Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves led the West Indies to Lunch. This duo produced a 46-run stand off 87 balls to postpone the inevitable. Both were dismissed in consecutive overs. Athanaze scored 38 runs, with Greaves contributing 25. Jayden Seales tossed his bat about and scored an audacious 22 from 12 deliveries. He was the final wicket to go as the West Indies were dismissed for 146 in 45.1 overs. Khary Pierre remained undefeated on 13, while Jadeja excelled with 4/54 from 13 overs. Siraj also scored three runs.
Who Said What?
Ravindra Jadeja (Player of the Match):
Yeah, I have been working hard with my batting. We had a two-month off, there was no Test cricket or ODIs. I was working on my fitness and I went to the Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, worked on my skills and fitness there. Yeah, absolutely (on his recent batting form). I had been batting at number 8 and 9 a few years ago but now I got my place at 6. I have time to prepare myself and I can pace my innings. I don’t need to hurry, I don’t need to rush unnecessarily.
I can go out there, take my time and just pace my innings. I always love playing on red soil pitches. It’s fun because as a spinner you get more turn and bounce. So, always as a spinner you want that. I think I was enjoying it and as I got to know that we are playing on a red soil, I thought it would be okay for batting and bowling as well. If the wicket is flat, you can score runs.
If the ball is turning, then you can enjoy bowling on the red soil. Obviously I would like to thank the coach, captain and management and selectors because being a vice-captain you are always there as a team’s special member and that honour always pleased me. And yeah, whenever the team required, whatever suggestion or regarding anything, I am always there and happy to do it. No, I am still not there (on being asked if he was the leader of the spin bowling department).
Ash was there. I am not the captain. Kuldeep has also played many games for India. Washi (Sundar) has also played many games. So I think all in all, everyone is experienced enough and there’s no need to give unnecessary suggestions to anyone. So everybody is working hard. Everyone is positive. That’s good to see.
Shubman Gill (Winning Captain):
Yeah, I mean, six (toss) losses in a row, but as long as we keep winning the matches, it doesn’t matter for us, and it’s a perfect game for us, so very happy with the win. Honestly, I think this was a perfect game for us. Three centurions in the game, and I think we fielded really well in both innings, we don’t really have any complaints. Yeah, definitely, and whenever you get a start, I think it was a pretty good wicket to bat on.
We both (Jaiswal and himself) got starts but couldn’t convert, there were plenty of other batsmen who converted, so happy for them. When you’ve got quality spinners like them, it’s difficult to be able to rotate, but it’s good to have an option of too many, rather than not having that many options, but always difficult, that’s the challenge, and that’s the fun of playing in India.
You know, there will always be someone who will be out there, ready to get the job done for the team. The team is young and they came out with flying colours. (What has he learned as a captain) So many things, you know.
It’s hard to pin down on one or two things that I learnt, but I think over a period of two years, how we bonded as a team, and how we got ourselves out from tough situations and difficult situations, that was really pleasing for me to see, and we are still a learning side, and I think as long as we keep learning from experiences that we have, I think we’re going to be on the positive side of the match.
Roston Chase (Losing Captain):
When you win the toss and get bowled out for 160-odd it is tough to come back from that. Not the performance we were looking for. We have to bat better especially in India, you have to put a big first innings total on the board. Especially with the ball spinning, and pitch deteriorating, and going to the 4th and 5th day. I think that’s where you really fall down, that’s something we need to look at.
Yeah, I had no problem with the decision. Everyone wanted to bat first, although there was some moisture in the wicket. But this is a Test wicket, and there’s always going to have moisture on the first day of the Test match. But it’s just for the batsmen to go in there and play themselves, and dig in deep, and play past that moisture. I didn’t think the timing was off (referring to when they took the second new ball).
I just thought that when we did take the second new ball, we didn’t make the batsmen play enough. With that power on the ball, I think we need to test the batsmen’s technique a bit more. Try to see if we can make them walk, and probably bowl a bit more at the stumps. Well, batting is the main problem. I mean, you only have two batsmen out there at the time.
And in the field, you have all 11 players out there, so it’s a bit easier as a fielding unit and a bowling unit. But I think it’s just for the batsmen out there to form those partnerships. I think we probably didn’t even get any 50-run partnerships. And in cricket, it’s partnerships, whether you’re batting or bowling. I just think we need to string some batting partnerships together, and that will make it easier for us.
India
