Mismatch in Motera: India on Top After Day 1 Against West Indies

• By Thetripurapost Sports Desk, Motera
• Oct 02, 2025
• 254

Less than 10,000 fans turned up at the 1.25 lakh-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, and they didn’t miss much suspense. The India–West Indies Test in Ahmedabad quickly turned into a one-sided contest.

Opting to bat first, West Indies were bundled out for just 162 in 44.1 overs, undone by India’s pace attack rather than the spinners they feared. Mohammed Siraj (4 wickets) and Jasprit Bumrah (3 wickets) led the charge, while Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar chipped in with three scalps between them. Justin Greaves top-scored with 32, but half the team was back in the pavilion before lunch.

This marked the ninth time in the last 10 innings in India that the West Indies failed to last even 80 overs.

India, in reply, reached 121/2 at stumps, trailing by just 41 runs. KL Rahul played a fluent half-century (53*), while skipper Shubman Gill (18*) and young openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) and Sai Sudarshan (7*) made steady contributions.

The highlight of the day, however, was India’s fast bowling. Siraj swung the new ball like he was in England, dismissing Tegnarayan Chanderpaul, Athanase, Brandon King, and Roston Chase in quick time. Bumrah’s lethal yorkers with the old ball cleaned up two batsmen in style.

A notable inclusion for India was Nitish Reddy, making his debut as a pace-bowling all-rounder — the first such selection in a home Test since Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur in 2018.

With India already in command, the team will now look to build a massive first-innings lead and push for an early finish to the mismatch.