It took India just two and half days to show their superiority in test cricket, especially in the subcontinent, as West Indies (WI) were given a tough lesson in the one sided Rajkot test match of the Paytm series on Saturday.
An inexperienced WI side was no match for India as the hosts made easy work of the visitors to pull of their biggest win against the Caribbean side, who could not last even two days with the bat against India's bowling attack, specially the spinners.
India today registered its biggest innings win ever as they handed WI an innings and 272 runs defeat inside three days of the test match.
It was India all throughout the three days of action. Riding high on 18-year old debutant Prithvi Shaw's sparkling 134, India amassed 649/9 declared in the first innings with contributions from King Kohli (139), Chateshwar Pujara (86), Rishabh Pant (92) and Sir Jadeja (100*).
India putting up the huge score was a definite sign of the hosts not willing to bat again and WI came all out to help India achieve this feat. A first innings score of 181/10 and 196/10 in the second did not do justice to the Caribbean team, who once dominated world cricket. But India is not complaining as the spinners once again brought in their A game on a flat track and turn things around within sessions.
If it was Ashwin in the first innings to send the visitors packing with 4/37, young Kuldeep Yadav went one step further to pick a fifer (5/57) to add to the visitor's miseries in the second innings. Only opener Kieron Powell showed some resistance for WI with a gritty 83 in the second innings but was left disappointed by his teammate's wrong choice of shot selection and it's over attacking approach against one of the best spin bowling attack in the world.
Overall, it was a commanding performance by India in all the departments and WI will have to learn quickly to adapt to these conditions and India's dominance before the second test begins from October 12 in Hyderabad.
Prithvi Shaw took home the Man of the Match award for his maiden hundred in his first taste of international cricket in the Rajkot test.
BRIEF SCORES
INDIA : 649/9 decl
WI : 181, 196-all out (50.5 overs)
