India crushes WI to go 1-0 up

Ashwin produced an off-spin bowling masterclass and triggered a second-innings slide that saw the host collapse from 88/2 to 132/8 on the fourth and penultimate day.

Ravichandran Ashwin ran through a hapless West Indies batting line-up in the second innings.

India's supremacy remained unrivalled as it rode on Ravichandran Ashwin's 7/83 to outplay the West Indies by an innings and 92 runs -- its biggest win outside Asia -- to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series here today.

Ashwin produced an off-spin bowling masterclass and triggered a second-innings slide that saw the host collapse from 88/2 to 132/8 on the fourth day.

> SCORECARD AND BALL-BY-BALL DETAILS

 

A defiant ninth-wicket stand of 95 --West Indies' highest in the game -- between Carlos Brathwaite (51 not out) and Devendra Bishoo (45) delayed the inevitable before Ashwin came back to seal the issue by bowling the host out for 231.

This was also the Tamil Nadu spinner's first five-wicket haul outside the Asian continent.

India bowled out the West Indies for 243 in its first innings, having amassed 566( for eight declared) after opting to bat. Forced to follow-on after conceding a massive lead of 323, the host failed to cope with the intense pressure created by Ashwin and company on a pitch that offered assistance to slow bowlers.

After tea, Brathwaite reached his third Test fifty, but the rest of the innings folded in just over 40 minutes. Bishoo hit straight to midwicket off Ashwin in the 78th over, and three balls later bowled Shannon Gabriel (4) to wrap up the proceedings with a day to spare.

Post lunch, it was an extended session of play which proved enough for India to force a win. But first it had to break the 67-run partnership between Rajendra Chandrika (31) and Marlon Samuels (50). The two batsmen raised hopes of a fight back.

But it was short-lived as Chandrika had a faint inside-edge off Ashwin in the 36th over, caught by Wriddhiman Saha.

Earlier, a short rain shower stopped India's march as the host went to lunch at 76/2.

The morning had begun with overnight batsmen Chandrika and Darren Bravo (10) looking to play on for time as well as score runs whenever possible. India started the proceedings with Ishant Sharma (1-27) and Umesh Yadav (1-34), the duo looking sharp and bowling fuller deliveries, especially the former who was a marked improvement from his first innings' outing.