In an impressive display of spin mastery, left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja orchestrated the downfall of an abject West Indies team. India secured a convincing five-wicket victory with more than 27 overs to spare in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of a three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday.

Opting to bowl first, India’s varied bowling attack left the home team floundering at sea, as they could only muster a paltry 114 runs off 23 overs. Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin proved to be especially baffling for the West Indies batsmen, as he claimed four wickets for a mere six runs in his three overs.

Despite the low target, India’s chase was anchored by Ishan Kishan’s aggressive 52 runs. However, the loss of three wickets towards the end of the pursuit took some sheen off the victory.

The match provided an opportunity for younger batting aspirants to showcase their skills ahead of the World Cup. Notably, Virat Kohli did not feature in the game, while captain Rohit Sharma joined the action only after the fall of the fifth wicket.

Yadav’s introduction as the sixth bowler triggered the collapse of the West Indies batting line-up, with the last seven wickets falling for just 26 runs. His exceptional figures of four for six off three overs were instrumental in dismantling the opposition.

Ravindra Jadeja proved to be a perfect complement to Yadav’s brilliance, claiming three wickets for 37 runs. Before their spin wizardry, seamers Hardik Pandya, debutant Mukesh Kumar, and Shardul Thakur had set the stage with early breakthroughs, each taking a wicket.

Apart from captain Shai Hope’s valiant effort of 43 runs, the rest of the West Indies batsmen struggled against the varied Indian attack. The home team posted their second-lowest ODI total against India and the joint-third lowest ODI total at home.

For India, the victory bodes well as they are preparing for the upcoming World Cup, which is just over two months away. On the other hand, the West Indies’ batting display adds to their woes, following a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign in Zimbabwe in June, which led to their failure to secure a spot in the tournament.