India vs West Indies – 1st Test, Day 3: Report

The Mohammed Shami-led Indian bowling attack ran through the West Indies line-up, after Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin piled the runs, to give India a comprehensive innings and 51-run victory. The pacer claimed a five-for in the second innings – as the hosts bowled the opposition out for 168 – to finish with nine scalps in his debut game at the Eden Gardens.   (Also Read: India vs West Indies – 1st Test, Day 2: Mach Reports)

Earlier, runs continued to flow for the first 21 overs for India on the third morning as Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin built on their overnight stand. Having helped rescue the team from a precarious situation, Ashwin, who was eight short of his second Test ton, brought up the three-figure mark with a single in the third over of the day. And complementing each other, the duo added 82 runs to this morning. Having scored bulk of the runs that India had on board, they had extended the lead to 202 in a record 280-run seventh-wicket partnership for India, before Rohit was sent back. Not offering a shot to Veerasammy Permaul, he was adjudged leg-before, bringing the curtains down on a majestic 177-run knock. (Also Read: India vs West Indies – 1st Test, Day 1: Mach Reports)

The bowlers then dominated the first session after ending the Rohit-Ashwin partnership. Eight runs later, Shane Shillingford rattled Ashwin’s stumps to claim his fifth scalp, as the batsman attempting to sweep the ball, missed and had to return for 124. The WI off-spinner then had Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught in the slips, while Veerasammy Permaul drew Mohammed Shami out of the crease and had him stumped to end the hosts’ innings for 453. With a 219-run lead, India headed into lunch.

Post lunch, Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again got the better of Chris Gayle and gave India their first wicket with the opposition on 33. But Kieran Powell and Darren Bravo resisted the Indian bowlers as they toiled to reduce the deficit. With the pitch offering turn and bounce Sachin Tendulkar too rolled his arm and asked questions of the WI batsmen as India looked for a breakthrough. It was 68 runs and 20 overs later that they eventually got one when Ashwin struck. The off-spinner trapped Powell lbw, while Shami followed up with the wicket of Marlon Samuels.

Bravo, who was unbeaten on 35 when tea was called, was caught at point by Rohit off Ashwin in the second over after tea. And five runs later, a Shami delivery hit Denesh Ramdin’s bat-pad and ended up in the hands of Murali Vijay at short-leg.

With his side reeling on 125 for five in the second innings on the third evening, Darren Sammy joined Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the middle in an endeavour to revive the flailing innings. However, Shami had other plans; brought back into the attack for his third spell, he got the ball to reverse and dealt a decisive double-blow. The pacer knocked back the WI skipper’s middle stump, and a ball later he castled Shane Shillingford to complete a four-for in the second innings as well. Then, amid the mayhem ensuing from an unsuccessful lbw appeal against Permaul off the next delivery, the quick thinking MS Dhoni ran the batsman out.

With WI requiring 67 runs to avoid an innings defeat and India needing two wickets to finish the match, Tino Best came to the crease, but was sent back by Ashwin as India closed in on the win. In an apt end to the game, Shami dismantled Sheldon Cottrell’s stumps to end the game.

Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma for his 177-run innings that helped India pile on a substantial lead

The presentation ceremony is about to begin. One of the officials is holding a strange green painting. Sachin Tendulkar is being felicitated by the Bengal chief minister before he receives that strange green painting and baskets of several things. Sourav Ganguly's put a turban on his head too. I doubt that painting will be hanging in Tendulkar's living room. He's getting a memento from a police officer too. He's going to need help carrying all this back to the hotel. Jagmohan Dalmiya is presenting Tendulkar with a statue of a banyan tree. A miniature one of course.

Darren Sammy to Star Sports: "We get ourselves in good positions in Tests and then we give it away. Even when India were batting, we were in a good position at lunch yesterday and then we gave it away. Getting bowled out in 60-70 overs is not good. One of our goals was to bat at least a 120 overs and we didn't do that. I think credit must go to Shillingford, he bowled long long spells, to bowl 50 overs is a lot. The other bowlers should have backed him up more, myself included. The combination is one we have used in the Caribbean but we'll see what the best XI for Mumbai is."

MS Dhoni: "I think this was a fantastic performance, the second day was the worst to bat and it became a better wicket as the match progressed. It was the disciplined bowling that helped up. Shami was fantastic, he got the right length and that was the reason he got nine wickets. You need a bit of pace if you want to dominate, he has very good seam positioning which means he can reverse away from the right-handers too. On a wicket that has more bounce he can move the ball both ways. It is good to see how Rohit has batted, he is very talented but it is good to see it on the field."

Rohit Sharma: "All I can say, it [the wait to make debut] was worth it, it can't get better than this, such a memorable match, really happy with what we have achieved. We knew we had to extend the partnership as much as we can to get a lead. It wasn't easy to bat, runs weren't coming easy, we just wanted to stick out there and capitalise on loose balls. I really love playing at Eden Gardens, the crowd was amazing ... it's been a really memorable ground for me."