All-round performances from India gave India a crushing innings victory
India defeated the West Indies by a massive margin of an innings and 140 runs in a minefield, making a brilliant start to their World Test Championship campaign. The victory came in a single session on Saturday.
The foundation for this impressive win was laid by India’s stars. After dismissing the visitors for 162 in the first innings, the combined efforts of Mohammed Siraj (4-40) and the batsmen (3-42) took the match away from their grasp. KL Rahul played a stellar innings with 100 runs, while Shubman Gill contributed 50 runs. However, the innings’ star rating is 104 runs. Their centuries helped India post a strong 448/5 before declaring, leaving the West Indies facing a massive 286-run deficit.
Facing a tough fight, West Indies’ second innings began to crumble almost immediately. The explosive duo of Musician and Siraj created immense pressure, with Siraj providing the first blow. The arrival of the Restless Restaurant in the birthday over proved to be a masterstroke, as he took brilliant catches from Sai Sudharsan and KL Rahul to reduce the visitors to 34/3.
India’s supermarket wasn’t limited to their posts; their fielding was also excellent. Yashasvi Kasbal dismissed Shai Hope with a brilliant forward-diving catch at backward point, while Shamim Yadav deceived West Indies captain Roston Chase with a variety of deliveries. After a solid start, a flurry of fast and fast deliveries produced flankers that left the batsmen stumped.
Alick Athanase (38) and Justin Greaves provided some support, and Maxim took his team to 66 for 5. However, the innings collapsed shortly after the break, opening up the possibility of victory again. Mohammed Siraj returned to the crease, trapping Greaves lbw with a rickety yorker and dismissing Jomel Warrican two balls later. Bullock (4-54) and Maidan (2-21) impressively cleaned up the tailenders, dismissing West Indies for 146 to secure a comprehensive and impressive victory.