India started their first Test match with the West Indies in Ahmedabad by overwhelming them on the opening day, reducing them to only 162 runs. The Indian bowling attack was thorough and Mohammed Siraj brought down the West Indian top order by taking four quick wickets. Jasprit Bumrah was then called upon to make up the tail, with Kuldeep Yadav, back into the Test team, adding two wickets to the bowling strength of India.
This shift back to the longest form of cricket is soon after India won the Asia Cup where they were overwhelming favourites and in memorable fashion. The team however did not have much time to celebrate before the coaching staff and multi-format players were forced to divert their attention back to Test cricket. A two-match home series against the West Indies now is a crucial test to India after being whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand last year at home.
Indian cricket has changed greatly since that painful series. The team undertook their entire five match Test tours in Australia, and England with Shubman Gill replacing full time Test captain marking the commencement of a new era. The show also saw the end of the old guard with the retirement of some of the stalwarts such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and R Ashwin, something that would see the Indian team pass through a transitional stage.
This renders the West Indies series especially heartbreaking, in that it is the first home series of India since these momentous retirements. On top of the redemption story of the Test team, it provides a platform about new leaders and young talents to shine. The series has been given a start by India as the performance on the opening day showed that the country dominated both in ball and in strategic planning.
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