India vs West Indies Test Series 2016: 1st Test at Antigua
We have witnessed a very quiet commencement to the practice and the first test at Antigua. The Indian side, a well- known underperformer on foreign soil, has had a remarkable finish to the first two days of this test match. After winning the toss, the Indians put themselves to bat on a relatively unfamiliar pitch of Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. And the batsmen just didn’t fail to deliver.
To start with, Shikhar Dhawan struggling with inconsistent form scored a confident 84, just when the team needed him back. Little later, the renowned phenomenon called Virat Kohli stepped on the field and his bat did the rest.
Can you ever get tired of reading about him!
I believe, the legendary Zaheer Abbas should now consider passing on his nickname “Asian Run Machine” to this fine lad. As Indians, we are used to watching our heroes rise and fall but have you ever seen anyone scoring so consistently? That too in all formats of the game. His records speak for themselves.
His double century was very well supported by Ravichandran Ashwin’s knock of 114. Very few would know that R. Ashwin is now the only other Indian batsman other than Sachin Tendulkar to hit three centuries against the Carribean side.
Ashwin just loves to remind of his batting abilities. Captain Kohli certainly kept that in his mind when he promoted Ashwin over Saha to bat in this all important Test Match.
By the end of Day 2: India declared the innings at 566/8.
Yet another Indian got highlighted in this Test match when Mohammed Shami joined the party with his 4 important wickets and single-handedly crushed the West Indian batting lineup. And he was complimented by Umesh Yadav’s 4 wickets, wrapping up the tail-enders.
Watching two Indian fast bowlers do well is rare.
Meanwhile, West Indian batting response has been disappointing to the core. Only Kraigg Braithwaite and Shane Dowrich stood apart with their 50’s. And West Indies’ first innings has been limited to 243 runs. India has enforced a follow-on, and West Indies were 21/1 in their second innings, trailing by 323 runs at the end of Day 3.
But let’s just admit it…
This one is not the best West Indian team to play against India. I mean this team does not have Dwayne Smith, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Denesh Ramdin or even Chris Gayle! This is only because of the political conflicts within WICB.
Experienced players like Samuels, Holder, and Bishoo have to fire if West Indies plans to put a fight against the World #2 Test Team.
By: Shubhang Srivastava 
Shubhang Srivastava, born and brought up in Delhi, always wanted to become a traveler or something. But, he is currently working as a successful professional in the advertising industry. He loves lounging on his oversized bean bag, listening to Coldplay. A complete movie buff, his knowledge can actually leave you amazed. He has an eye for detail and an unparalleled passion for Formula One, Cricket and Squash. When he’s not working, one can easily find him getting involved in some sports discussion episode with people around.
P.S.: He is a very nice guy. Trust us!
