CRICKET

Ashwin shines as India crush Windies inside three days

Ravichandran Ashwin finished with a 12-wicket match haul

Ravichandran Ashwin (L), of India, celebrates the dismissal of Kraigg Brathwaite, of West Indies, during day three of the First Test between West Indies and India at Windsor Park in Roseau, Dominica, on July 14, 2023. (Photo by RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

By: Pramod Thomas

OFF-SPINNER Ravichandran Ashwin finished with a 12-wicket match haul as India handed the West Indies a crushing innings and 141 run defeat inside three days of the first test at Windsor Park in Roseau on Friday (15).

Ashwin had claimed 5-60 to help skittle out West Indies for 150 in the first innings on a slow, turning track in the first match of the two-test series.

India amassed 421-5 in reply before declaring their first innings with debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (171), skipper Rohit Sharma (103) and Virat Kohli (76) scoring bulk of their runs.

Having conceded a lead of 271, West Indies did even worse in their second innings when they were bundled out for 130.

Ashwin was the wrecker-in-chief again, claiming 7-71 even though team mate Jaiswal was adjudged player-of-the-match.

“Our bowling was superb. Bowling them out for 150 actually set the game for us,” Rohit said after their victory.

“On that pitch, we knew we wanted to bat once, bat long.”

The comprehensive defeat deepens the sense of gloom in the West Indies camp, who are smarting from their failure, for the first time, to qualify for this year’s 50-overs World Cup in India.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s was the first wicket to fall, succumbing lbw to Ravindra Jadeja with the score on eight before Ashwin secured his first victim of the second innings 14 runs later when home captain Kraigg Brathwaite was caught by Ajinkya Rahane.

Ashwin then ripped through the West Indies, with Alick Athanaze top scoring for the home side with 28 runs before becoming one of the off spinner’s seven victims.

Jomel Warrican’s wicket was the last to fall when he was trapped lbw as Ashwin wrapped up a comfortable victory with two days to spare.

Between them, India’s spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja claimed 17 of the 20 West Indies wickets in the match.

Brathwaite said it was difficult to make a comeback into the contest after their below-par first innings total.

“Didn’t think it spun a lot early on. We just let ourselves down with the bat,” he said.

“First innings total was just not good enough.”

The teams will meet again in the second and final test in the series in Port of Spain from July 20 before facing off in three one-day internationals and five Twenty20 matches.

(Reuters)