Team India took a comfortable 1-0 lead over West Indies in the two-Test series in Dominica, beating the hosts by an innings and 141 runs in the first match. The side bowled Windies out on merely 130 after taking a mammoth 271-run lead in the first innings, with Ravichandran Ashwin producing yet another phenomenal performance, taking seven wickets for 71. The off-spinner ended with a 12-wicket match haul, and is now joint-fifth among bowlers with most fifers in Test cricket.
Earlier in the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli resumed India’s innings at 312/2 and the former – who made his debut in the Dominica Test – was eventually dismissed on 171. Kohli, who played rather uncharacteristically on a rather slower surface, had to endure another 15-over wait on the day to get his first four – his first boundary in the innings had come after 81 balls the previous day.
The 34-year-old batting great, however, couldn’t get to his three-figure mark, as he was dismissed on 76 by Rahkeem Cornwall. Kohli had endured a significant period in international cricket without an century (2019-2022), and had to wait even longer for his ton in Tests, breaking the deadlock in March earlier this year when he smashed a brilliant 186 against Australia in Ahmedabad.
The fans had hoped for Kohli to add another three-figure score to his Test career, which would’ve taken him to 29 centuries in the format – and 76 tons in international cricket. While the fans were naturally disappointed yet comforted with Kohli returning to run-scoring in the longest format, the batter remained his true self on the field, showing his brilliant dance moves ahead as India came out to field for West Indies’ second innings.
As Team India players prepared to take the field, Kohli – who was already at the ground – broke into dance moves with Yashasvi Jaiswal looking at him. Watch:
India made easy work of West Indies’ batting lineup yet again; after bowling them out for 150 in the first innings, India rode on the experienced bowling duo of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja again, as the two picked 9 wickets among them. Alick Athaneze was once again the top-scorer for the hosts, although he too could only score 28 off 44 deliveries.
The two sides will return for the second Test of the series on July 20, which takes place at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
