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India opened their two-match Test series against the West Indies with a dominating performance, winning the first Test by an innings and 140 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was a complete team effort, but the star of the show was Ravindra Jadeja, who delivered a match-winning all-round performance, scoring an unbeaten century and picking up four crucial wickets.
After bowling out the West Indies for just 162 in the first innings, India piled on the pressure with the bat. Centuries from KL Rahul (100), Dhruv Jurel (125), and Jadeja (104*) powered India to a massive total of 448 for 5 declared. With a lead of 286 runs, India made a tactical call to declare their innings at the start of day three, hoping to take advantage of the morning conditions that were expected to offer turn and variable bounce.
Jadeja, introduced early into the attack, ran through the West Indies' top order with ease. The visitors were left struggling at 66 for 5 by the time the lunch break arrived. The pitch, which had been friendly for batting the day before, started showing signs of wear, and India’s spinners made the most of it.
The collapse began with a moment of brilliance in the field. In just the eighth over, Tagenarine Chanderpaul attempted a pull shot off Mohammed Siraj, only to see Nitish Reddy take a spectacular diving catch at square leg.
Soon after, spin was introduced, and the damage only worsened for the West Indies. Jadeja dismissed opener John Campbell with a simple catch at short leg and followed it up by removing Brandon King, who edged one to first slip. Kuldeep Yadav then joined the act, knocking over skipper Roston Chase with a clever delivery that beat him all ends up. Jadeja struck again to remove the dependable Shai Hope, thanks to a sharp catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal at short third man.
By lunch, the West Indies were reeling at 66 for 5, still trailing India by 220 runs. Alick Athanaze (27*) showed some fight with a few confident reverse sweeps, while Justin Greaves (10*) offered support, but the damage had already been done.
Earlier in the match, India had declared their first innings on an overnight score of 448 for 5 with a sizeable lead of 286 runs against the West Indies at the start of the third day. The batting unit had already done its job. Rahul played a patient and composed knock to end his long wait for a Test century at home. Jurel, still early in his international career, impressed with his poise and shot selection. Jadeja’s aggressive yet controlled century added the finishing touch to India’s big total.
With a huge lead in hand and the West Indies struggling to cope with quality spin and sharp fielding, the match was only heading one way. India’s bowlers, led by Jadeja (4/54), Kuldeep (2/23), and Siraj (3/31) Washington Sundar (1/18), ensured there was no way back for the visitors.
The second Test match between India and the West Indies is scheduled to start from October 10 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
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