Star Metro - Ashwin's four wickets put West Indies in deep trouble

Omitted for the World Test Championship final against Australia a month earlier, the 36-year-old spinner added the scalps of Alzarri Joseph and debutant Alick Athanaze in the afternoon session to improve his figures to four for 49.

He had earlier removed openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite having been brought into the attack after just 40 minutes' play on what looked then like a placid pitch offering little assistance for the faster bowlers.

Athanaze, the top scorer with 47, impressed with his composure and shot-making but the 24-year-old miscued an attempted pull to offer a simple catch to Shardul Thakur at midwicket to be the last wicket to fall in another disappointing session of play for the home side.

Ashwin's spin partner, Ravindra Jadeja, got the wickets tumbling again shortly after lunch when he had wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua da Silva caught behind shortly after lunch. It was his second wicket in quick succession following the demise of Jermaine Blackwood at the end of the morning session via a superb leaping catch by Mohammed Siraj at mid-off.

Siraj then broke the only meaningful partnership of the innings so far, inducing Jason Holder into a pull for Thakur to take the catch at deep square-leg and end a stand worth 41 for the sixth wicket.

Thakur also had his share of success with the ball in the morning, disposing of Raymon Reifer via a low catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, whose glovework has generally been less than accomplished.

Kishan is one of two Indian debutants, the other being Yashasvi Jaiswal, who will open the batting with captain Rohit Sharma in the first match of this two-Test series.

A.Rogen--SMC