Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah led a formidable bowling attack that dismissed the West Indies for a mere 162 runs, establishing India’s control on the first day of the first Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Siraj’s fiery spell and Bumrah’s lethal precision made it a challenging outing for the visiting batsmen.
Siraj took 4 wickets for just 40 runs, initially making his mark with three crucial wickets during a devastating morning session. He returned to the attack after lunch to further weaken West Indies, effectively disrupting their strategy. Bumrah aided him with a remarkable figure of 3 for 32, showcasing his trademark yorkers and relentless accuracy that the West Indies batsmen struggled to counter.
While the Indian bowlers dominated, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar also made significant contributions, nabbing 2 for 25 and 1 for 9, respectively, ensuring that the West Indies innings crumbled under pressure. Justin Greaves topped the batting performance with 32 runs, while Shai Hope and skipper Roston Chase managed 26 and 24 runs, providing only fleeting moments of resistance.
In response, India faced minor setbacks and concluded the first day at a strong position with 121 runs for the loss of two wickets, trailing by just 41 runs. KL Rahul anchored the innings with a meticulous 53 not out off 114 balls, demonstrating poise and control throughout his knock. He found solid support from Shubman Gill, who remained unbeaten at 18 runs.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, with a quick-fire 36 runs, unfortunately edged a delivery from Jayden Seales, while debutant B Sai Sudharsan fell quickly for 7 runs to Chase. Despite these early casualties, Rahul’s composed approach ensured that India maintained a steady grip on the match.
With rain briefly halting play, the Indian team ended the day with confidence, demonstrating their ambition to seize control of the two-Test series right from the start. As the players look forward to the remaining days of the match, the crowd in Mumbai remains hopeful for a strong display from the home team.
