The Indian team walks off the field after defeating West Indies in the first Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St Johns, Antigua on Sunday.
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Congratulating India for their emphatic victory, former batsman VVS Laxman heaped praise on the side’s bowling unit. The West Indies batsmen were tentative as the ball moved a lot, aided by the wind and the Indians tested the dogged patience of the hosts.
While admitting it was always tough to play catch-up cricket, the 24-year-old insisted his side failed to sustain partnership for longer period, the area which they need to improve as a side going forward.
Ashwin scored a century during India’s dominant performance with the bat and, having finished empty handed during West Indies’ indifferent first innings, he responded by taking seven scalps during a decisive fourth day, the first time in his Test career the off-spinner has claimed five or more wickets outside Asia.
The captain leading from front and getting his first double hundred in Test Cricket and that was instrumental in India getting 566 runs on the board.
There were only two three-centuries in the match from the hosts, and they needed to do better to even have a hope of saving the match. The two sides will next lock horns at Sabina Park in Jamaica from July 30.
That for me is a very pleasing thing as a captain and for the team as well. It started the slide for West Indies and the off-spinner barged into the opening he had found.
Brathwaite, who defied India’s array of pace and spin for nearly five hours in getting to 74, could not survive the first over of the second turn at the crease, being trapped palpably leg-before by Ishant Sharma.
“It’s important for us to come out tomorrow and bat the entire day”.
“I believe their real tests will be when they play England, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia away from home. We just need to string together some more dot balls [and] some more pressure deliveries”.
Speaking about the “tussle” between him and Kohli for the Man of the match award, he said, “Honestly, I think this Man of the Match award could have gone to Virat Kohli as well”.
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It was the first of three wickets for Brathwaite, who ended Ashwin’s vigil at 113 and then accounted for Amit Mishra for an attacking 53 which prompted the anticipated declaration. The hosts in their first innings were bowled out for 243, and were made to bat again after India chose to enforce follow-on option.
