The West Indies brought in Brian Lara as their performance mentor ahead of the Test series against India. Batting has been the Windies’ weakest point in Test cricket and roping in someone of the stature of Lara was certainly a wise decision.
Now, if the Windies batters continue to play such atrocious shots on a pitch that seems quite batsman-friendly, there’s little Lara can do.
Winning a good toss at Windsor Park in Dominica, the Windies were bundled out for 150 early in the final session of Day 1 of the first Test. Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his first Test outside Asia in a year-and-a-half, took 5/60, his 33rd fifer in Tests.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite before being dismissed for 20. Twitter
Debutant Alick Athanaze (47) and seamer all-rounder Jason Holder showed some much-needed patience and temperament during their 41-run sixth-wicket stand after keeper-batter Joshua Da Silva too erred like the other specialist batters. He was out caught behind, with Ravindra Jadeja picking up his second wicket.
But just as that sixth-wicket partnership was building, Holder fell to the trap set by the Indians, perishing at the deep as he tried to hook a Mohammed Siraj short-pitched ball. A little later, the left-handed Athanaze, after showing so much of responsibility which his senior colleagues didn’t, played a very poor shot off an innocuous delivery from Ashwin.
India Test debutants Yashasvi Jaiswal and (right) Ishan Kishan on Day I in Roseau on Wednesday. AP/PTI
That was his fourth wicket. He dismissed Jomel Warrican for his fifth wicket.
India, handing a Test debut to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and keeper-batter Ishan Kishan (preferred over KS Bharat), were given the breakthrough by Ashwin.
The senior off-spinner drew first blood for India when he dismissed Tagenarine Chanderpaul with a pitched-up delivery that turned just a bit away to clean up the left-hander, whose footwork is a concern.
Ashwin then picked up his second when the Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite played a reckless shot to throw his wicket away. Soon after, Shardul Thakur struck when Raymon Reifer edged behind as keeper Kishan took a low catch.
And then at the stroke of lunch, pacer Siraj took a fine one-handed catch running from mid-on as another needless shot from Jermaine Blackwood gifted Jadeja a wicket.
Agreed, the Windies’ shot selection was once again below standard, but one has to laud Ashwin for the pressure he was able to exert in the first session, having bowled 10 overs straight.
Today’s match
India vs West Indies, Day II of first Test, Roseau, 7.30pm IST, live on JioCinema, FanCode & DD Sports
