Siraj and Rahul put India in command against the West Indies

Mohammed Siraj made the West Indies pay a heavy price for their enthusiastic decision to bat first on a sporting wicket at Ahmedabad in the first Test against India. The lanky pacer from Hyderabad took three of the first four wickets to leave the Windies reeling at 42-4 in just the twelfth over of the day. The visitors never quite recovered from there, bundled out for 162 before tea on the opening day of the two-match series. An exuberant Yashasvi Jaiswal (36 off 54) and an undefeated half-century by KL Rahul saw India to a healthy 121-2 by stumps, trailing by just 41 runs.

Siraj's continued growth as the spearhead of this attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah has emboldened the team management under Gautam Gambhir. The wicket definitely had some juice, but the Caribbean batters lacked the temperament necessary to stave off the new ball and build an innings. Tagenarine Chanderpaul chased a waist high ball only to nick one down the legside. Jurel was alert to the gliding ball to pull off a good catch. John Campbell played down the wrong line to Bumrah. Brandon King squandered his wicket by shouldering arms to a delivery that barely started on the fourth stump and nipped back to take the middle stump. Half the side was back in the hut before lunch, they were four down in the twelfth over of a test match.

Roston Chase (24), Shai Hope (26), and Justin Greaves (32) tried to restore a semblance of respect, but none of them lasted even 50 balls. Such a shallow effort was never going to cut muster against a quality opponent like India. Once again, their legends in the commentary box were lamenting the lack of application and patience among their batters, as they watched helplessly from their perch on the stands.

India, though, gave their fans plenty to cheer on the back of the Navaratri festivities. The bowling was solid, with Bumrah (3-42) and Kuldeep (2-25) lending a sharp edge to secure a quick closure to the first innings. Siraj was clearly the pick of the bowlers, setting the stage for the demolition with a purposeful 4-40, to leave the Windies exposed at the top.

Rahul offered the Windies a clinical lesson in test match batting, biding his time as he worked his way to a classy 53* in 114 balls. As he continues to build on a solid tour to England, where he made a pair of centuries and fifties, Rahul will hope to remake his test match legacy. His average of 35.90 over a 64-match career barely reflects his potential as a top-order batter. With ten centuries against his name, Rahul is just 158 runs from completing 4000 test runs.

As Shubhman Gill begins to shape this team in his character as a leader, Rahul will hope to play the role of a senior statesman and its most dependable match winner with the bat. The captain was keeping Rahul company at the other end in Ahmedabad, happy to nudge his way to 18*. The two men will expect to play long on Friday, to bat the Windies out of the game. The visitors lasted less than 45 overs on the first day, India has already consumed 38, and their bowlers can expect to continue straining their backs for a lot longer as they learn the nuances of test cricket from their hosts.

Mohammed Siraj - BCCI Image