WI vs IND: Ravichandran Ashwin picked seven wickets in the second innings and 12 in the match to lead India to a thumping innings victory over West Indies in the first Test in Dominica, also equalling Anil Kumble’s record in the process.
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On a slow surface that turned big from ball one, the India spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin made hay, picking up 17 of the 20 West Indian wickets to fall between them as India registered a massive victory by an innings and 141 runs, their biggest margin of victory outside the subcontinent.
Ashwin was the star of the show in both innings as he picked a five-for in the first, restricting the hosts to just 150 after they had won the toss, and a seven-for in the second, running through their line-up with extreme urgency, as if he didn’t want to turn up for a fourth day.
Ashwin’s figures of 7-71 in the second innings are his third-best figures in Test cricket, and his best away from home. Overall, this was the sixth seven-for of his Test career.
With this performance, Ashwin has now equalled Kumble’s record of having picked the most ten-fors in a Test match for India – eight. He is also closing in swiftly on the 500-wicket mark (486 currently) and will become only the second Indian to reach there when he does after Kumble. This game contained Ashwin’s 33rd and 34th Test five-fors. Only Kumble, with 35, has more for India.
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Apart from the brilliance of a veteran of 90-plus Test matches, this game also witnessed the class and temperament of a 21-year-old youngster who was playing his first.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 171 off 387 balls in the first innings – the only time India batted in this Test – and broke several records on the way. His marathon effort was the longest innings played by an Indian batter on Test debut in terms of balls faced. Coming on the back of an IPL season where he smashed a 13-ball half-century, this knock of his on a tricky surface showed the range he possesses. It was also the third highest score by an India batter on debut.
India will be pleased with the way they have started their 2023-20235 World Test Championship campaign and would like to build on it heading into the second Test.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli got runs as well, while Jadeja was among the wickets and seamers did their job, although very little was required of them.
Kraigg Brathwaite & Co, on the other hand, have a lot of soul-searching to do before the second Test begins in Port of Spain on July 20.
