India took a comprehensive 2-0 win in the Test series away to West Indies. They sailed through the last match with a magnificent seven-wicket victory. Led by the marvellous batting skills of Shubman Gill and held together by strong bowling performances, the Indian side put on a show. They showed their resounding superiority in the series, no questions asked.
The match played out at one of Japan’s most picturesque cricket stadiums. India didn’t wait long to take the lead, storming ahead with their first innings total of 518 runs for just five wickets declared. For India, Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star performer, having scored an aggressive 175 runs in the first innings. He was ably assisted by captain Shubman Gill, who anchored with an impressive 129 not out. Sai Sudharsan was equally impressive, contributing 87 runs at a brisk pace.
This was compounded with the West Indies only able to score 248 runs in their first innings in response. Kuldeep Yadav was simply unplayable on his way to five wickets for only 82 runs. His brilliant spell completely hampered the West Indies’ scoring ability, limiting them to just 81 runs. Even with their diligence, the home team was unable to lay down a firm base.
They provided some resistance in their second innings to post 390 – led ably by Kyle Mayers. In reply, both John Campbell and Shai Hope made fine hundreds of 115 and 103 to lay the foundation for the chase. Sadly, their efforts were insufficient to prevent defeat.
In the second innings, India batted again, and declared at a score of 124 runs for three wickets. KL Rahul chipped in with a half-century to lead India’s charge and keep them firmly in command of the lively contest.
India’s win further strengthened its hold on third place in the points table of the World Test Championship (WTC). At the same time, the West Indies continue to languish in sixth position. The series acted as an immensely important launch pad for India in its ongoing pursuit of finding success in the WTC.
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