Ravichandran Ashwin removed both openers with his sheer artistry as West Indies crawled to 68-4 at lunch against India on the opening day of the first Test, here on Wednesday. Shardul Thakur (1-7 in three overs), operating as the third seamer in overseas conditions for the first time, continued with his happy knack of picking wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja (1-6 in 2 overs) also found his name in wickets column due to a magnificent catch by Mohammed Siraj to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood (14).
At the break, debutant Alick Athanaze (13 batting) was at the crease as West Indies could hit only six fours in 28 overs bowled during the session. Opting to bat first, West Indies openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (12 off 44 balls) and Kraigg Brathwaite (20 off 46 balls) went into a shell during the first hour as both Siraj (0-17 in eight overs) and Jaydev Unadkat (0-7 in five overs) settled down to a nice fuller Test match length, beating the outside edge of both openers on multiple occasions.
The pressure created by the pace duo did reap dividends as Ashwin (2-25 in 10 overs) slowed the pace of his deliveries, used the available drift to a good advantage to make life uncomfortable for the two openers. There was a nice loop and he did challenge both inside and outside edge during the second hour. Tagenarine’s stance and trigger shuffle from leg to off-stump does have an uncanny resemblance with his illustrious father Shivnarine although he is slightly more side-on compared to his ‘Old Man’.
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Sensing his shuffle, Ashwin got one to hang in the air and drift into the southpaw, who played inside the line only to find it beat his outside edge after pitching and there was a death rattle. West Indies skipper Brathwaite, easily the best Test batter in the side over the last five years, was increasingly getting frustrated as Ashwin bowled slightly quicker at times to him. Earlier, India handed debut caps to 21-year-old left handed opened Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan.
Brief scores
WI 68-4 (K Brathwaite 20; R Ashwin 2-25) v India (scores incomplete)
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