Ahmedabad, Oct 2 (UNI) If ever there was a morning session that belonged to India’s bowlers, this was it. Mohammed Siraj ran in with fire, Jasprit Bumrah asked probing questions, and Kuldeep Yadav, on his Test return, produced the ball of the day to leave West Indies gasping at 90 for 5 at lunch on Day 1 of the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium here today.
The tone was set early. Siraj got rid of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (0) with a strangled tickle down the leg side — not the dismissal you dream of, but a wicket on the board nonetheless. Bumrah then did what Bumrah does — creating uncertainty. John Campbell (8) thought he was safe when the umpire said not out, but UltraEdge showed two spikes, and that was enough to send him back after a couple of neat drives.
Then came the Siraj show. Brandon King (13) left a big nip-backer thinking it would pass harmlessly. It didn’t. The off-stump cartwheeled, Siraj wheeled away with his trademark Ronaldo celebration, and India had West Indies on the mat. He wasn’t done — a full ball outside off tempted Alick Athanaze (12) who nicked to KL Rahul at slip. Three wickets, all full of energy, and West Indies wobbling at 42 for 4.
But cricket always gives you pockets of resistance. Roston Chase and Shai Hope stitched together 48 runs. Hope was elegance personified at times — that square punch off Nitish Reddy, the on-the-rise drive against Bumrah, and a neat clip past midwicket showed his class. Chase wasn’t shy either, reverse sweeping Kuldeep first up, and cheekily guiding Ravindra Jadeja past slip.
And just when it looked like West Indies were steadying, Kuldeep happened. His very first strike since January 2024 was a throwback to his best: flight, drift, turn — and the ball kissed the inside edge of Hope’s bat before crashing into the top of off. Hope (26) stood frozen, bat tucked under his arm, staring at the wreckage. That’s the sort of dismissal spinners dream of, and Kuldeep couldn’t have scripted his comeback better.
At lunch, West Indies were 90 for 5, Chase unbeaten on 22, still fighting. Siraj had 3 for 19, Bumrah 1 for 24, and Kuldeep 1 for 7. India’s morning, without a shadow of doubt.
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