India vs West Indies: It's business as usual for sizzling Siraj

The well-rested pacer, one of the architects of India’s pulsating 2-2 draw against England in the preceding series, took off from where he left off at the Oval.

Ahmedabad: The massive gulf in class between India and West Indies stood ruthlessly exposed as early as the opening session of the two-Test series, with the dominant hosts showing no mercy whatsoever to put their beleaguered opponents under the sword here on Thursday.

The well-rested Mohammed Siraj, one of the architects of India’s pulsating 2-2 draw against England in the preceding series, took off from where he left off at the Oval with a superb 4/40 while his senior pro Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with an equally impressive 3/42 as India bowled out an inept West Indies for 162 in 44.1 overs in front of a sparse gathering at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium.

With Indian bowlers packing a punch on a largely overcast and muggy day, the stage was then set for their batting colleagues to twist the knife further. KL Rahul, the senior-most specialist batter in the side, responded to the task with a composed 53 not out, helping India take stumps at 121/2.  

On the eve of the Test, West Indies skipper Roston Chase candidly admitted that his side was not in a good position right now in terms of their Test status and literally no one was giving them a semblance of hope on this India trip.

That’s because not only have the West Indies not beaten India since 2002 in a Test series but they have arrived here following a 3-0 battering at the hands of Australia at home which included being shot out for 27 in the third Test at Sabina Park. Chase wanted his wards to forget the past, free their minds and play fearless cricket.

None of that was visible on a good opening day surface that bore no major demons. Yes, Siraj swung the ball judiciously and harried the batters with his pace and wobbled seam deliveries while Bumrah wedded his white-ball skills to the red cherry nicely but the West Indies batters showed neither technique nor temperament — absolute necessities at the elite level — to counter them. They were fearful and clueless, like a rabbit caught in front of headlights.

Expansive drives, wrong reading of lines and lengths, lack of composure, barely any stomach for fight… they just looked completely out of place. Siraj and Bumrah, two of the most lethal fast bowlers in the world, smelled that, and like sharks on the hunt, they scythed through the West Indies in every spell of theirs. 

Siraj breathed fire first even without hitting top gear, his opening spell of 7-3-19-3, leaving the West Indies reeling at 42/4 in the first session. The incompetence of the West Indies was visible in the dismissal of Brandon King, who shouldered arms to a ball pitching on his off-stump that resulted in his middle-stump going cartwheeling.

The West Indies staged a fightback briefly in the second hour, but the moment Kuldeep Yadav (2/25) gatecrashed the defences of Shai Hope on the stroke of lunch, the writing was on the wall for the visitors. Justin Greaves (32) and Khary Pierre (11) delayed the inevitable with a 39-run stand for the seventh wicket which ended when Washington Sundar (1/9) outfoxed the latter with a beauty. Bumrah then returned to hasten the end with two deadly yorkers in a spell of 6-0-18-2.

Now, it’s up to Rahul, Gill and the rest of the batters to pile up the runs on Friday and kill the contest.

SCORE BOARD 

WEST INDIES (I Innings):

Campbell c Jurel b Bumrah 8

(19b, 2x4) 

Chanderpaul c Jurel b Siraj 0

(11b)

Athanaze c Rahul b Siraj 12

(24b, 3x4)

King b Siraj 13 

(15b, 3x4)

Chase c Jurel b Siraj 24

(43b, 4x4)

Hope b Kuldeep 26

(36b, 3x4)

Greaves b Bumrah 32

(48b, 4x4)

Pierre lbw Sundar 11

(34b, 2x4)

Warrican c Jurel b Kuldeep 8

(16b, 1x4) 

Layne b Bumrah 1

(4b)

Seales (not out) 6

(16b)

Extras (B-9, LB-6, NB-1, W-5) 21 

TOTAL (all out, 44.1 overs) 162 

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Chanderpaul), 2-20 (Campbell), 3-39 (King), 4-42 (Athanaze), 5-90 (Hope), 6-105 (Chase), 7-144 (Pierre), 8-150 (Greaves), 9-153 (Layne).

Bowling: Bumrah 14-3-42-3 (nb-1), Siraj 14-3-40-4 (w-1), Nitish 4-1-16-0, Jadeja 3-0-15-0, Kuldeep 6.1-0-25-2, Sundar 3-0-9-1.

INDIA (I Innings):

Jaiswal c Hope b Seales 36

(54b, 7x4)

Rahul (batting) 53

(114b, 6x4)

Sudharsan lbw Chase 7

(19b)

Gill (batting) 18

(42b, 1x4)

Extras (B-4, LB-1, NB-1, W-1) 7

TOTAL (for 2 wkts, 38 overs) 121

Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Jaiswal), 2-90 (Sudharsan).

Bowling: Seales 8-2-21-1, Layne 6-0-14-0 (w-1), Greaves 4-2-19-0 (nb-1), Warrican 6-2-21-0, Pierre 9-0-25-0, Chase 5-0-16-1.

Cut-off box - SCORE BOARD 
WEST INDIES (I Innings):
Campbell c Jurel b Bumrah 8
(19b 2x4) 
Chanderpaul c Jurel b Siraj 0
(11b)
Athanaze c Rahul b Siraj 12
(24b 3x4)
King b Siraj 13 
(15b 3x4)
Chase c Jurel b Siraj 24
(43b 4x4)
Hope b Kuldeep 26
(36b 3x4)
Greaves b Bumrah 32
(48b 4x4)
Pierre lbw Sundar 11
(34b 2x4)
Warrican c Jurel b Kuldeep 8
(16b 1x4) 
Layne b Bumrah 1
(4b)
Seales (not out) 6
(16b)
Extras (B-9 LB-6 NB-1 W-5) 21 
TOTAL (all out 44.1 overs) 162 
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Chanderpaul) 2-20 (Campbell) 3-39 (King) 4-42 (Athanaze) 5-90 (Hope) 6-105 (Chase) 7-144 (Pierre) 8-150 (Greaves) 9-153 (Layne).
Bowling: Bumrah 14-3-42-3 (nb-1) Siraj 14-3-40-4 (w-1) Nitish 4-1-16-0 Jadeja 3-0-15-0 Kuldeep 6.1-0-25-2 Sundar 3-0-9-1.
INDIA (I Innings):
Jaiswal c Hope b Seales 36
(54b 7x4)
Rahul (batting) 53
(114b 6x4)
Sudharsan lbw Chase 7
(19b)
Gill (batting) 18
(42b 1x4)
Extras (B-4 LB-1 NB-1 W-1) 7
TOTAL (for 2 wkts 38 overs) 121
Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Jaiswal) 2-90 (Sudharsan).
Bowling: Seales 8-2-21-1 Layne 6-0-14-0 (w-1) Greaves 4-2-19-0 (nb-1) Warrican 6-2-21-0 Pierre 9-0-25-0 Chase 5-0-16-1.