In a captivating display of spin bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin played a pivotal role as India emerged triumphant against West Indies on Day 3 of the first Test at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica. The match witnessed Ashwin’s exceptional performance, which contributed significantly to India’s comprehensive victory by an innings and 141 runs.
India’s fate in the Test rested on the duration of their first innings. After a decisive call by skipper Rohit Sharma, who declared the innings just over 40 minutes after lunch on the third day, the focus shifted to how long the West Indies could hold on.
The answer became apparent quickly – not very long, lasting just slightly longer than an ODI innings. The introduction of spin in the fifth over of the West Indies’ second innings proved to be their downfall, as Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined forces to claim the first four wickets. Interestingly, Ashwin dismissed two right-handers while Jadeja accounted for two left-handers, leaving the West Indies struggling at 58/5 within 30 overs.
When Ashwin trapped the impressive debutant Alick Athanaze with a catch at short leg, it became evident that the Test match would not see a fourth day. The convincing margin of victory, an innings and 141 runs, highlighted the dominance of the Indian team.
Ashwin’s remarkable contribution in the match was evident as he added impressive figures of 7/71 to his five-wicket haul in the first innings. His consistent success on the field had become so routine that the seasoned off-spinner even refrained from celebrating his wickets.
While the West Indies’ totals of 150 and 130 were easily surpassed by debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s dominance in the match was apparent throughout.
Although the West Indies’ recent struggles in white-ball formats have exposed their decline as one of the stronger sides in international cricket, this Test series presented an opportunity for the Caribbean team to regain some positive momentum. However, the pitch provided for the match disadvantaged the home side significantly, favoring the Indian spinners. The surface resembled those found in Delhi or Mumbai, tailored to swiftly dismantle visiting teams. Consequently, Rahkeem Cornwall and Jamal Warrican were ill-equipped to fully utilize the conditions. A more balanced pitch would have allowed the West Indies’ pacemen, including Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph, to play a more prominent role, and potentially even facilitated the inclusion of Shannon Gabriel.
In the face of one of the most potent double spin acts in cricket history, the West Indian batsmen proved incapable of handling the challenge. Remarkably, 17 out of the 20 West Indian wickets in the match were shared by Ashwin and Jadeja, with the two Indian spinners bowling all but eight of the 50.3 overs in the second innings.
India’s resounding victory in the first Test against West Indies demonstrates their dominance in subcontinent conditions. The Indian team will look to build upon this success and carry the momentum forward as they aim for a comprehensive series win.
