
India registered an emphatic innings and 140-run victory over West Indies in the first Test at Ahmedabad, wrapping up the game inside three days.
Vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja was the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 104 and following it up four wickets (4-54) to give the hosts an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
India declared their first innings on overnight score of 448/5 with a sizeable lead of 286 runs at the start of the third day and then bowled out the visitors for 146 in their second essay.
Apart from Jadeja, India’s innings was headlined by centuries from KL Rahul (100) and Dhruv Jurel (125). In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj (3-31) and Kuldeep Yadav (2-23) provided strong support to Jadeja.
After the win, India skipper Shubman Gill lauded the team's "near-perfect outing", emphasizing their strong batting and bowling depth.
“Honestly, I think this was a perfect game for us. Three centurions in the game, and I think we fielded really well in both innings. So, honestly, I don't really have any complaints,” Gill said at the post-match presentation.
The captain himself, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, missed out after getting starts. “Yeah, definitely. Whenever you get a start—on a wicket like this, which was pretty good to bat on—you want to convert. We both got starts but couldn’t carry on, but plenty of others did. So, happy for them.”
This clinical performance showed India’s strength at home, with both pacers and spinners leaving a significant mark.
Gill acknowledged the challenge of managing such a diverse attack and picking from so many options.
“As a skipper, it is always a challenge to manage so many options, deciding who to give the ball to. But I think it’s always better to have too many choices rather than too few. That’s the challenge and also the fun of playing in India—there will always be someone ready to get the job done,” he said.
Commenting on his journey as captain, Gill said: “What I’ve learned is hard to pin down to one or two things. But over the last two years, the way we have bonded, and how we’ve pulled ourselves out of tough situations, has been really pleasing to see. We are still a learning side, and as long as we keep learning from our experiences, I believe we will continue to be on the positive side of results.”
The second Test between India and West Indies is slated to be held in Delhi from October 10.
