India convincingly beat West Indies – within three days – to clinch the opening Test in Rajkot. Hosts dismissed West Indies for 196 in the second innings and didn’t have to wait for the new ball throughout the Test. The innings and 272 run for India are the biggest for the country in their history. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 16 wickets between them in the Test, including all ten in the second innings. Key statistics from the first Test:
West Indies’ last seven innings in India: 134 (57.2 overs), 234 (78 overs), 168 (54.1 overs), 182 (55.2 overs), 187 (47 overs), 181 (48 overs), 196 (50.5 overs). Not once did West Indies put India in a position to take the new ball.
India has picked up their two biggest wins (regarding runs) this year. The win against West Indies by innings and 272 runs is the biggest. Earlier, India had beaten Afghanistan by an innings and 262 runs in Bengaluru for their second biggest win. Previous bests have been: innings & 239 runs against Bangladesh in Dhaka, 2007; innings & 239 runs against Sri Lanka in Nagpur, 2017; and innings & 219 runs against Australia in Kolkata, 1998.
This is West Indies’ second biggest defeat. Their biggest defeat came against England in 2007 by an innings and 283 runs. The next worst showing also came against England, by an innings and 237 runs, in 1957.
India may have had a poor show away – losing to South Africa and England – but India has won three out of last four Tests at home. The other result was a draw against Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Kuldeep Yadav picked up a fifer in the second innings to become the first left-arm leg-spinner to take a five-wicket haul in all three formats. He is also the third spinner, after Imran Tahir and Ajantha Mendis, to pick up a fifer in all three formats.
Virat Kohli now has more Test wins at home as captain than Mohammad Azharuddin (13). Kohli with 14 wins now only trails MS Dhoni (21).
