India thrash West Indies by an innings and 141 runs as Ravichandran Ashwin shines with a 7-fer

India started their latest edition of the World Test Championship with an absolute banger as they steamrolled West Indies in the opening Test of the series with two days to spare. After an emphatic display in the first innings spearheaded by the triptych of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India declared early and asked West Indies to bat again. 

With a deficit of 271 runs to be erased, the hosts tumbled like nine pins as Ravichandran Ashwin bagged a seven-fer in the match to allow India secure a victory by an innings and 141 runs.

Kickstarting day 3 at 312/2, Yashasvi Jaiswal was quick to reach the milestone of 150 in his debut match with a single against Jason Holder. Virat Kohli was next in the line to rack up a milestone as he nudged a ball from Jomel Warrican for a single that got him his 29th fifty in Test cricket.

After brokering peace for a while with the surface still throwing all its shenanigans at the Indian batters, Virat and Jaiswal chose to throw their blades around, a decision that would backfire for the Indians as the set duo couldn’t get going in the fast lane. Jaiswal fell for a gritty 171 from 387 balls as he nicked one to Joshua Da Silva while Kohli was undone by Rakheem Cornwall’s extra bounce that caught the inside edge of his bat, a catch that was pouched by Alick Athanaze at leg slip. Soon after, India declared at 421/5, securing a lead of 271 runs in the first innings.

Walking out to bat on a track that had its own set of mysteries peppered out all over, West Indies got off to a cautious start. After an early display of relatively prolonged patience, Tangenarine Chanderpaul was the first to depart, beaten by a spinning delivery from Ravindra Jadeja that struck him in front. 

Next up in the long line of victims for West Indies was their skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, who edged a ball to the Indian vice-captain after failing to judge Ashwin’s line. Jermaine Blackwood couldn’t pull off something heroic either as he was beaten by an incoming delivery from Ashwin that pitched outside off and slammed onto his pads, plumb in front of the middle stump.

Even before West Indies could react to what was unfurling, Ramon Reifer was dismissed by Jadeja, who delivered a ripper that struck the West Indian flush on his pads to send him back for 11.  

West Indies wicket-keeper da Silva could offer very little resistance despite a promising start as Mohammed Siraj got him with a length ball that cut in sharply to clip his pads. A brief spell of resistance from Athanaze would do very little to allay the deep lurking fears of West Indies as Jaiswal would pull off an absolute stunner inches from the ground, bringing about Ashwin's third wicket of the innings.

Teetering at 78/6, the hosts were well aware of the fact that they were in complete dismay, compounded when Alzarri Joseph took the bait of trying to smash a tossed up delivery from Ashwin. Playing against the turn, Joseph was foxed by the extra bounce, holing out to Shubman Gill at deep mid-wicket. 

Ashwin completed his fifer with the prized scalp of Rahkeem Cornwall, who endured a rollercoaster ride in recent times. Finishing the Jamaica T10 tournament as the highest run scorer, he came into the Test with high hopes. Then having to sit out for almost a couple of sessions on the second day due to a chest infection, he was hoping to make amends on day three. Despite bagging Kohli's big wicket with the ball, his bat didn’t make an impact as Ashwin’s floater outside off-stump was enough to catch his inside-edge and fly into the safe hands of Gill.

The last two victims to fall to the imperious might of Ashwin were Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican as the former failed to pick up a tossed-up delivery on the off-side that sneaked in through the gates after turning in sharply. Warrican, on the contrary, tried to reverse sweep Ashwin and ended up exposing his pads in front of the stumps.

With the scalp of Warrican, India scripted a remarkable victory, thrashing West Indies mercilessly as Ashwin toppled countless records from the gamr, clinching 12 wickets in the match while India won the game by an innings and 141 runs. Jaiswal was awarded the Player of the Match award for his 171 in the first innings that allowed India to run away with the fixture.