All-round Ashwin stars in India's biggest win in West Indies

India enjoyed a near perfect start under Anil Kumble as they walloped a hapless West Indies team by and innings and 92 runs in under four days at Antigua, on Sunday (July 24).

If their batsmen sparkled in the first innings of the Test, amassing 566 for 8 before declaring, and the fast bowlers came to the party in the second, it were the spinners that shone in the third and final innings of the game.

R Ashwin had gone wicket-less in the first innings as well as on the morning of the fourth day, but during the second session he was near unplayable - picking up his first ever five-wicket haul outside Asia. He ended with 7 for 83.

During the morning session, Marlon Samuels and Rajendra Chandrika shared a vital fifty-run stand as West Indies fought hard to stay alive in the first of the four-Test series. But the best stand of the innings came with the hosts eight down and staring at defeat. Carlos Brathwiate took the attack to the Indian spinners, and with Devendra Bishoo for company, stalled the Indians for 24.1 overs. The pair added 95 runs for the 9th wicket, but it only delayed the inevitable.

Day 4 at Antigua began with India striking early, Darren Bravo, facing Umesh Yadav, played away from the body and the edge was smartly taken by Ajinkya Rahane at gully.

Samuels enjoyed some luck early on, with an inside edge through to the wicketkeeper being ruled not out by the third umpire. The decision had been referred to Gregory Brathwaite after Saha had claimed a low catch. TV replays turned out to be inconclusive with Samuels's bat obstructing the view just when the Indian took the catch. The third umpire finally ruled in the batsman's favour, and Samuels was handed a lucky reprieve on 16.

The right-hander was particularly attacking against Ashwin, hitting the off-spinner for three fours in one over.

Rain held up play for a bit, giving India coach Anil Kumble the chance to run his plans over with the team again, but before they could resume the game, Lunch was called.

After a fighting first session, West Indies capitulated to spin as Ashwin triggered a collapse with some superb off-spin. From a decent position at 88 for 2 in the 36h over, the home side lost six wickets for just 44 runs and left themselves facing a massive innings defeat and a series deficit.

India's breakthrough in the second session came with a slice of luck. Chandrika hopped down the track to meet an Ashwin delivery, but missed the clip to the leg side. The ball did not seem to have met the bat on its way to Saha's gloves, but umpire Aleem Dar thought otherwise.

With the opening they were looking for, India went for the kill. Jermaine Blackwood bagged a pair in the Test, flicking the ball to a diving Virat Kohli on the leg side, while Marlon Samuels was undone by a brilliant delivery.

Ashwin used the strong wind, blowing from East to West, to his advantage and bowled the straighter one. Samuels played a tad inside the line, anticipating for the ball to spin, but it managed to beat the bat and hit the stumps. Samuels had held one side up with a fine fifty, and it needed a special delivery to remove him.

Roston Chase departed soon after, with his forward prod taking the inside edge and going to forward short-leg, where substitute fielder KL Rahul took a good, low catch. It was Ashwin's fourth wicket of the innings.

Shane Dowrich, who hit a solid fifty in the first innings, was trapped leg before by Mishra soon after as West indies slipped towards a big defeat.

Jason Holder became Ashwin's fifth victim, being bowled by another superb delivery from the off-spinner for 16. The West Indies captain was lured into the drive with a floated delivery, but the ball spun in and disturbed the stumps.

Carlos Brathwaite and Bishoo put together a defiant 95-run stand. Both players were severe against the spinners, hitting over the top and collecting boundaries freely. Ashwin finally broke through in the 78th over by getting Bishoo caught at mid-wicket for 45.

Three balls later, Ashwin wrapped up the match by bowling out Shannon Gabriel for four.

The innings and 92-run victory is India's biggest outside Asia.

India in driver’s seat as West Indies follow on

A dominant India left West Indies staring at a possible innings defeat after they were bundled out for 243 to give the visitors a huge first-innings lead of 323 runs in the first cricket Test here today.
India enforced the follow-on after bowling out West Indies in the final session of day three in 90.2 overs.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the hosts were placed at 21/1 (13 overs) at stumps in their second innings, still trailing by 302 runs after the visitors had finished their first innings at 566/8 declared.
Returning from a one and a half year injury layoff, Mohammad Shami (4-66) had done the damage before tea, and Umesh Yadav (4-41) continued afterwards, as the hosts were bowled out with 13 overs remaining in the day. But that was after Shane Dowrich (57 not out, 10 fours) and skipper Jason Holder (36) put on 69 runs for the 8th wicket.

They looked good in the middle and kept the scoreboard ticking for the duration of their partnership, with the West Indies’ 200-mark coming up in the 81st over and their 50-run stand coming off 80 balls.

The new ball was taken thereafter, with R Ashwin (0-43) starting but he soon gave way to Yadav and Shami. Dowrich meanwhile got to his 2nd Test half-century off 75 balls, even as runs started flowing owing to the hardness of the new ball.

But it didn’t last long as Yadav finally induced an edge off Holder in the 86th over, caught behind by keeper Wriddhiman Saha. It was his sixth dismissal of the innings and he equalled the Indian record held by both Farokh Engineer and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Yadav then bowled Carlos Brathwaite (0) off the very first ball, as the burly batsman shouldered arms to an incoming delivery. Amit Mishra (2-43) then ended the resistance and bowled Shannon Gabriel (2).

Trailing by 323 runs, the West Indies were asked to follow on, and Ishant Sharma (1-3) managed to remove the in-form Kraigg Brathwaite (2) in the very first over, trapping him LBW. Thereafter, Rajendra Chandrika (9 batting) and Darren Bravo (10 batting) successfully negotiated the remaining overs without further loss.

Earlier, post lunch, it was an improved display by the Indian bowlers who looked to change their line and length from the morning. And the change could be seen almost immediately as Shami started proceedings after the break. He kept both Brathwaite (74 runs) and Marlon Samuels (1) guessing, inducing an edge off the latter in the 49th over.

Four deliveries later, it became a double blow, as Jermaine Blackwood (0) was unable to fend off a sharp rising delivery and was caught at gully by Ajinkya Rahane.

Mohammed Shami turns the screw on West Indies

Virat Kohli has spoken about his admiration for Mohammed Shami's bowling abilities a couple of times already. The Indian captain sees Shami as the perfect bowler in Tests, one who can stick to plans and prise out wickets when needed. From the way the ball is release to where it is pitched and to what it does after, Shami's bowling displays, so it seems, have left Kohli in awe.

"He is a gun bowler, the areas he hits is what you need in Test cricket the attacking lengths and he has the ability to get batsmen out at any stage of the game which is very pleasing in test cricket and important for a captain. So, Shami being back in the side obviously gives us a lot of options. The guy can bowl with the new and old ball, reverse swing, he can come round the wicket, use bouncers and use his space well. I think as a fast bowler he is a complete package," Kohli had said of Shami.

On Saturday (July 23), the pacer gave his captain more reasons to be proud of his 'gun' bowler. Shami removed three West Indies batsmen in addition to the one he had already dismissed last evening.

Rajendra Chandrika and Kraigg Brathwaite were dogged during their opening stand, playing cautiously and trying to ensure they gave India no reasons for cheer late in the day. After Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav failed to make an impact, Kohli turned to Shami. And in three overs, the pacer had got Chandrika to edge behind.

The next morning, Shami was not as successful even though he did most things right. Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo survived quite a few close calls, but was eventually dismissed by Amit Mishra.

When the next partnership between Kraigg and Darren Bravo was starting to flourish, Kohli turned to Shami again. And yet again, Shami delivered. Heimmediatelyswitched to around the wicket when Bravo came on strike. It was the third ball of his new spell, and Shami had Bravo walking back to the pavilion.

Soon after the Lunch break, Shami was into his element. He had Marlon Samuels out cheaply. It was his 50th Test wicket, and he became the joint-fastest Indian pacer (24 Innings) to get there. Shami celebrated that achievement with another superb delivery, getting Jermaine Blackwood out for a duck. It was his fourth wicket of the innings, and the hosts were in complete disarray.

On the kind of pitch where bowlers have really struggled, Shami was prospering. No wonder Kohli is all praise for him. As he demonstrated today, Shami understands how to alter his plans according to the pitch. He plugged away outside the off-stump and reaped rewards. He hit the nagging length consistently and made it hard for batsmen to score. And when the pitch did offer some help, he ensured it was in the kind of area to trouble the batsmen.

Shami's abilities to do just this was also noted by the Indian captain.

"Shami is obviously a really skillful guy, we all know that. He has a lot of ability with the ball, the way he bowls, the way the ball is released, where he pitches the ball - it is more or less perfect for Test cricket. The lines and the lengths he bowls are always attacking, no matter what the wicket is. And the best thing about him is that if it is seaming and it is swinging, he will bowl you the conventional lines and lengths but if it is reverse-swinging, he knows exactly where to bring in the ball from. He has a great sense and a feel of how to get batsmen out," Kohli had said in Bengaluru before the team's departure.

Umesh Yadav, who picked up four wickets on Day 3, speaking about Shami at the post-day press conference, waxed lyrical about his pace partner. He said there was no need for him to "light a lamp in the dark" as far as Shami is concerned.

"He is a natural bowler. He is a smart bowler and he has inswing, outswing, a good bouncer. He is a complete bowler and I don't think there is a need to even compliment him. He is a very talented bowler," Umesh said.

Much of the showers of praise for Shami have come from even before he bowled his first ball in Antigua. Now with the kind of performance he put in on Saturday, it is only bound to increase.

The Indian team is excited, and understandably, about having a fit Shami back in the side, and he's starting to show why.