Kuldeep Yadav wraps up India's biggest win in Tests
The Windies batsmen could not cope with the experience of India's bowling attack and capitulated to totals of 181 and 196 in their two innings. While Ravichandran Ashwin troubled them most in their first hit with his four-wicket haul, Yadav ran riot after they were asked to follow on, returning 5/57 with his left-arm wrist-spin at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium on Saturday, 6 October.
It was Yadav's career-best haul, and it set up India's biggest win in Test cricket in terms of margin.
That's a wrap! INDIA WIN the first Test.#TeamIndia beat the Windies by an innings and 272 runs 👏👏🕺🕺 pic.twitter.com/DITXuZRBuy
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 6, 2018
On a day the Windies lost 14 wickets, Roston Chase and Keemo Paul impressed with their intent in the morning session, before Kieran Powell provided the lone spark in their second innings with 83 off 93 balls.
Starting the third day on a perilous 94/6 in chasing India's 649/9, Chase and Paul offered some resistance, adding an entertaining 73 runs for the seventh wicket. Chase drove and flicked his way to a half-century, scoring eight fours in his innings of 53.
So 8 sessions is all it took. That’s as clinical as it gets. Really impressed with the all-round bowling effort. #IndvWI
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) October 6, 2018
Paul made a counterattacking 47 off 49 deliveries, especially attacking Kuldeep Yadav. He was undone by the first bouncer of the day, bowled by Umesh Yadav for his only wicket of the game. Chase was dismissed soon after, enticed by a teasing, tossed up delivery from Ashwin, which he played on to his stumps.
With the breakthrough, the hosts pounced on the Windies lower order to wrap up the innings before lunch, 468 runs adrift of the Indian total.
It’s been a real struggle for the Windies. 1st Test, Day 3 and India about to wrap up the win. #INDvWI
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) October 6, 2018
India enforced the follow-on and scalped opener Kraigg Brathwaite in the over before lunch. The right-hander was dismissed by Ashwin, flicking straight to Prithvi Shaw at short-leg.
Powell, Brathwaite's opening partner, never really looked comfortable at the crease, but kept ticking along. Despite the let-offs from the Indian fielders, he was not afraid to go for the big hits, striking six fours in his knock.
Yadav dismissed the batsmen from No.2 to No.6 in the Windies batting order, orchestrating the play with his splendid effort. The 23-year-old also became the seventh cricketer to clinch a five-wicket haul in all three formats of the game.
It's all over. India win the first Test against West Indies by an innings and 272 runs.
— ICC (@ICC) October 6, 2018
Ravindra Jadeja cleaned up the tail. #INDvWI ⬇️https://t.co/bOSqMElBuo pic.twitter.com/huyW0vonFU
None of the batsmen except Powell crossed 20, falling like dominoes to the consistent probing from India's bowling attack. Ravindra Jadeja, who was a juggernaut for the hosts throughout the game, supported Yadav's five-for with three wickets of his own.
It wrapped up a comprehensive game for India, who, thanks to centuries from debutant Shaw, Virat Kohli and Jadeja declared for a mammoth total, and never quite lost their hold over the game.