Friday 27 / December / 2024
North Sound: India captain Virat Kohli lauded a "complete performance" by his team after they thrashed West Indies by an innings and 92 runs inside four days in the first Test in Antigua on Sunday.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin collected 7-83 in the second innings as the home team collapsed to 231 all out after being forced to follow-on at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound.
It was Ashwin's third career seven-wicket haul, his first outside India. He had not picked up any wickets in the first innings.
"The fast bowlers bowled really well in the first (innings) and I wasn't really finding my rhythm to be very honest," Ashwin, who also scored a century, said in an on-field interview after being named man-of-the-match.
"I got a good long spell after lunch today. Rhythm is the most important thing for me. I wasn't quite comfortable yesterday. Today was very different."
Carlos Brathwaite, batting at number nine, top scored for West Indies with 51 not out, while Marlon Samuels (50) and Devendra Bishoo (45) tried to frustrate the visitors but they only delayed the inevitable.
India ensured they would not lose with a first-innings total of 566 for eight declared, and they will take even greater heart from the way their balanced five-pronged bowling attack -- three pacemen and two spinners -- rattled through the Windies twice in less than six sessions.
Pacemen Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav did the damage in the first innings with four wickets each, before Ashwin took over on Sunday.
"It was a complete performance," said India captain Virat Kohli, who played no small part in the victory with his first career double century.
"We're very happy with the way we executed our plan. We just need to be confident but not complacent and not overconfident."
West Indies, a lowly eighth in the International Cricket Council test rankings, started the four-test series as big underdogs, but their inability to make a contest of the first test will raise further concerns about the future of the Caribbean team in the five-day format.
"We didn't really bowl well in the first innings. It was a daunting task, trying to chase 560-odd," said West Indies captain Jason Holder.
"We obviously need to bowl a bit better. Shannon (Gabriel) bowled extremely well, Bishoo was decent. We just need to string together some more dot balls, some more pressure deliveries."
The second Rest starts in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday.
SCOREBOARD
India 1st innings 566 for 8 decl (V. Kohli 200, R. Ashwin 113, S. Dhawan 84, A. Mishra 53)
West Indies 1st innings: 243 (K. Brathwaite 74, S. Dowrich 57no; U. Yadav 4-41, M. Shami 4-66)
West Indies 2nd innings:
K. Brathwaite lbw b I. Sharma 2
R. Chandrika c Saha b R. Ashwin 31
D. Bravo c Rahane b U. Yadav 10
M. Samuels b R. Ashwin 50
J. Blackwood c Kohli b R. Ashwin 0
R. Chase c sub b R. Ashwin 8
S. Dowrich lbw b Mishra 9
J. Holder b R. Ashwin 16
C. Brathwaite not out 51
D. Bishoo c Pujara b R. Ashwin 45
S. Gabriel b R. Ashwin 4
Extras (nb-5) 5
Total (all out, 78 overs) 231
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-21, 3-88, 4-92, 5-101, 6-106, 7-120, 8-132, 9-227, 10-231
Bowling: I. Sharma 11-2-27-1 (nb-3), M. Shami 10-3-26-0 (nb-1), U. Yadav 13-4-34-1, R. Ashwin 25-8-83-7, A. Mishra 19-3-61-1 (nb-1)
Umpires: Aleem Dar and Ian Gould
TV umpire: Gregory Brathwaite
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle
Result: India won by an innings and 92 runs
