India is firmly in control following a dominant performance by Ravichandran Ashwin, who secured his 33rd five-wicket haul on the first day of the Test. By the close of play, India had reached 80/0 in 23 overs at Windsor Park, thanks to steady contributions from Rohit Sharma (30*) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (40*). With only 70 runs remaining to catch up, the momentum is with India, supported by Ravindra Jadeja's three wickets.
Team India is in the driving seat after Ravichandran Ashwin demolished the West Indies with his 33rd five-wicket haul on Day 1 of the first Test Match. India finished Day 1 on a stronger note as skipper Rohit Sharma (30*) and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (40*) guided their side to 80/0 in 23 overs at Windsor Park. India trails the West Indies only by 70 runs. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gave good support to Ashwin with a three-wicket haul.
After electing to bat first, the West Indies pair of Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul played with extreme caution. The breakthrough came in the 13th over when Ashwin cleaned up Chanderpaul for 12—a unique feat that makes him the first Indian bowler to get both father and son out in Test cricket. Shortly after, Ashwin also dismissed the captain, Brathwaite, for 20.
Shardul Thakur contributed by removing Raymon Reifer for just 2 runs, while a brilliant one-handed grab by Mohammed Siraj helped Jadeja claim his first wicket before the lunch interval. While Alick Athanaze showed composure and grit to score 47, the rest of the batting order collapsed. Jason Holder failed to make a significant impact, departing for a disappointing 18.
Rahkeem Cornwall added a quick, unbeaten 19 before the spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja ripped through the tail to wrap up the innings. India will aim to solidify their dominance as they start Day 2, while the West Indies must find a way to execute their strategy if they hope to get back into the game.