In the first Test, the West Indies chose to bat after winning the toss but faced immediate pressure from India. Pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah dominated the opening session, dismantling the visitors’ top order.
Ahmedabad: India made a perfect start to the first Test against the West Indies on Thursday, with pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah dismantling the visitors’ top order in the opening session.
West Indies captain Roston Chase won the toss and chose to bat, hoping to make the most of the morning conditions. “It looks like a good pitch, with a bit of moisture early on. We have a young side and want to play positive cricket. Batting first gives us a chance to handle the tricky first hours,” Chase said.
Chase fielded a balanced side with two seamers, two spinners, and an all-rounder, signaling his intent to tackle both early swing and later turn.
India, under Shubman Gill’s leadership, looked well-prepared. “We have four Tests at home before the year ends, and our aim is to win all of them,” Gill said at the toss. “The surface looks very good. Losing the toss isn’t a problem; there might be some early help. Our bowling attack—Bumrah, Siraj, Jaddu Bhai, Washington, Kuldeep, and Nitish Reddy—is ready for the challenge.”
The action started immediately. Siraj struck in the fourth over, sending back Tagenarine Chanderpaul for a duck after just 11 balls, with Dhruv Jurel taking a clean catch behind the stumps. Bumrah followed up with the wicket of John Campbell, who edged the ball to Jurel for 8. India’s bowlers were relentless, setting the tone for the day.
India’s playing XI mixes experience and youth, with Bumrah and Siraj leading the pace attack, Jadeja, Kuldeep, and Washington providing spin options, and Nitish Reddy adding all-round depth.
Playing XIs:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
West Indies: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, John Campbell, Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Shai Hope (wk), Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Khary Pierre, Johann Layne, Jayden Seales.