Siraj, Bumrah Deliver Early Blows as West Indies Slip to 90/5 at Lunch on Day One

Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah delivered a relentless bowling performance, reducing the West Indies to a precarious 90/5 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Siraj’s fiery spell of 3/19 in seven overs and Bumrah’s disciplined 1/24 tore through a fragile West Indies batting lineup, still shaken from their record-low Test score of 27 in their previous outing. Kuldeep Yadav added to the visitors’ woes, dismissing Shai Hope for 26 just before the break, leaving Roston Chase unbeaten on 22.

The pitch, sporting a brownish hue rather than a green top, offered little assistance to the bowlers initially. However, Siraj struck early in the fourth over, dismissing Tagenarine Chanderpaul for a duck with a short-of-length ball that bounced extra, caught brilliantly by diving wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Bumrah followed in the seventh over, trapping John Campbell (8) with a straightening delivery that led to a contentious caught-behind decision upheld by third umpire Paul Reiffel after a review. Campbell, who had earlier struck two boundaries, fell to Bumrah’s probing swing, with replays showing the ball clipping the edge as his bat grazed his pads.

Siraj continued the onslaught, removing Brandon King (13) in the 10th over after the batter misjudged a scrambled-seam delivery, shouldering arms to see his middle stump uprooted. Alick Athanaze (12) fell soon after, edging a drive to KL Rahul at second slip, leaving West Indies reeling at 42/4. A 48-run partnership between Hope and Chase offered brief resistance, but Kuldeep’s sharp-turning delivery outfoxed Hope, crashing into the stumps to end the session on a high for India.

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The West Indies, aiming to recover from their recent batting collapse, faced a disciplined Indian attack that capitalised on early breakthroughs and maintained pressure. With Chase holding firm, the visitors face an uphill battle to rebuild in the afternoon session. The second day of the Test promises further intensity as India looks to dominate the series opener on a pitch expected to offer more challenges as the match progresses.

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