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Key Points

India's seamers delivered a masterclass in the opening session of the first Test against West Indies. Mohammed Siraj led the charge with a devastating 3-wicket spell that exposed the visitors' batting frailties. The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium offered significant assistance to the bowlers, with Siraj, Bumrah, and Kuldeep exploiting every opportunity. By lunch, West Indies were reeling at 90/5, with India firmly in control of the match.

Key Points: Siraj Routs West Indies Batting in Test Match Opener

  • Siraj claims 3 crucial early wickets dismantling West Indies top order
  • Bumrah and Kuldeep support seamer's dominant bowling performance
  • West Indies struggle at 90/5 after electing to bat first
  • Roston Chase leads resistance with unbeaten 22 runs
2 min read

1st Test: Siraj picks three as India reduce West Indies to 90/5 at lunch

Mohammed Siraj demolishes West Indies top order with brilliant 3-wicket spell, reducing visitors to 90/5 on day one at Narendra Modi Stadium

"Just as West Indies seemed to have weathered the storm, Kuldeep produced a peach - Match Report"

Ahmedabad, Oct 2

Mohammed Siraj's incisive spell, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav being among the wicket-takers led India dominant start by reducing West Indies to 90/5 in 23.2 overs at lunch on day one of the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, West Indies were rocked early by Siraj, who exploited the pitch with swing, seam, and bounce to claim 3-19 in his overs, as the visitors' were reduced to 42/4. He and Bumrah kept the stumps in play and forced frequent errors.

Skipper Roston Chase and Shai Hope tried reviving the innings with a 48-run stand, before Kuldeep castled the latter at the stroke of lunch. In the morning, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, returning to Test cricket after 21 months, departed for a duck in the opening over after tickling one down leg to keeper Dhruv Jurel off Siraj.

John Campbell followed soon after, adjudged caught behind on review off Bumrah. Brandon King hit three quick boundaries before a moment of misjudgment - shouldering arms to a ball that crashed into middle stump off Siraj - left West Indies. Alick Athanaze showed brief resistance but fell after driving on the up and edging to second slip to give Siraj his third wicket.

At 42/4, the West Indies were in deep trouble, and from there, Hope and Chase steadied the innings with a 48-run stand, showing intent against spin and capitalising on loose deliveries. Hope, in particular, looked assured, showcasing his back-foot play and measured drives.

But just as West Indies seemed to have weathered the storm, Kuldeep - playing his first Test in over a year - produced a peach when he got one to drift, dip in, and turn sharply to breach Hope's defence on an attempted drive and rattle his stumps on the stroke of lunch. With five wickets in the bag and the pitch offering assistance, India have held a firm grip on the game heading into the second session.

Brief Scores: West Indies 90/5 in 23.2 overs (Shai Hope 26, Roston Chase 22 not out; Mohammed Siraj 3-19, Kuldeep Yadav 1-7) against India

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see Kuldeep Yadav back in Test cricket after a year and making an immediate impact! That ball to Hope was pure class - drift, dip, and turn. Spinners will dominate this match for sure.
R
Rohit P
West Indies batting looking very fragile. Shouldering arms to Siraj's delivery that hit middle stump? Basic batting errors costing them dearly. Need to show more application on Indian pitches.
S
Sarah B
Impressive bowling performance but I hope we don't get overconfident. Chase is still there and West Indies have depth in batting. Need to wrap this up quickly after lunch.
M
Michael C
Bumrah-Siraj combination is proving lethal! The pressure they build from both ends is unmatched. Perfect Test match bowling partnership for India right now.
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Kavya N
Dhruv Jurel taking that catch in the first over set the tone! Young wicketkeeper showing good presence. Hope our batting lineup can capitalize on this bowling performance. 🤞
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Vikram M
While the bowling has been excellent, I'm a bit concerned about our slip catching. We dropped a couple of chances that could have made it 90/6 or 90/7. Need to be sharper in the field.

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