India Dominates Opening Test against West Indies with Ashwin’s Heroic Five-Wicket Haul

On the first day of the opening Test in Dominica, Ravichandran Ashwin showcased his exceptional bowling skills, taking five wickets to lead India’s dominant performance. After bundling out the West Indies for 150, India ended the day at 80 without loss. Ashwin, who was omitted for the World Test Championship final against Australia a month earlier, delivered a remarkable performance, claiming figures of 5/60 off 24.3 overs. This left West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite ruing his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

Ashwin received excellent support from fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who secured three wickets for just 26 runs. The only notable resistance came from debutant batsman Alick Athanaze, who delighted the home fans with his composed innings of 47 before falling just before the tea interval.

India’s opening batsmen, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, remained unbeaten at stumps, forming an unbroken partnership. The West Indies’ varied bowling attack struggled to pose a threat, setting a daunting task for the Caribbean team going into day two.

Reflecting on his performance, Ashwin commented on the pitch conditions, noting that it started to turn slowly as the day progressed. He emphasized the importance of adapting and continuously striving for improvement in international cricket.

Ashwin’s impactful day began with the dismissal of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and an unfortunate miscue from Brathwaite. These early breakthroughs set the tone for a disappointing batting display by the West Indies.

Despite the wickets tumbling around him, Athanaze showcased his shot-making ability but fell just short of a half-century when he attempted a pull shot off Ashwin, resulting in a simple catch for Shardul Thakur at mid-on. His partnership of 41 runs with Jason Holder was the most substantial of the West Indies’ innings.

Mohammed Siraj also made his mark, taking a stunning leaping catch at mid-off to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood right before lunch, thanks to Jadeja’s bowling. Thakur contributed to India’s success by claiming a wicket in the morning session, dismissing Raymon Reifer with a low catch taken by debutant wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan.

Kishan’s wicket-keeping skills, however, appeared somewhat untidy when standing up to the spinners. This has raised questions about the decision to omit the incumbent gloveman Srikar Bharat.

In the final over of the day, Jaiswal confidently executed a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, earning a boundary and emphasizing India’s dominance.

With such a commanding performance on day one, India has made a clear statement of intent heading into day two of the Test match.