India v West Indies - First Test

Eden Gardens, Kolkata

India: SM Gavaskar, MH Mankad, M Amarnath, VS Hazare, M Azharuddin, *MAK Pataudi, Kapil Dev, +SMH Kirmani, M Prabhakar, S Venkataraghavan, BS Chandrasekhar.
West Indies: CG Greenidge, DL Haynes, GA Headley, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, LR Gibbs, CA Walsh.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: West Indies

Winning the toss is nearly always an advantage in any Test match, and an Eden Gardens pitch that was expected to take spin as early as the second day made it an exceptionally good toss to win for Garry Sobers at the start of this three Test series. India fielded three spinners compared to West Indies' one, but with the first day proving to be by far the best day for batting, West Indies rattled up a handy total of 351-9 by the time stumps were drawn, Rohan Kanhai's second ATG century the main contribution.

Kanhai was only in the side due to Clive Lloyd's injury, but his sublime innings made him the only man to pass fifty as numbers 1-8 in the tourists' batting order all made starts but failed to press on. Richards briefly threatened with 38 before edging a kicking delivery from Chandrasekhar through to Kirmani, then Sobers made a very fluent 49 before both he and Kanhai fell in quick succession shortly after tea. India recovered well in the final session of day one, reducing West Indies from 278-4 to 356 all out early on the second morning, but a disastrous second day for the hosts all but secured victory for West Indies with over half the match still to play.

Fourteen wickets fell on a humid day two, thirteen of them Indian, as the home side were routed for just 109 then reduced to 39-3 in their second innings by the close of play as they followed-on. Marshall started the slide first time around, taking three of the first four wickets in an opening burst of 3-5, and after Hazare (49*) and Pataudi (32) briefly rallied with a stand of 53, Gibbs swept away the tail with his best ever ATG figures to leave the Indians 247 behind on first innings.

Sobers duly enforced the follow-on, and it was Walsh who made the early in-roads this time, including Hazare first ball and Gavaskar to an absolutely stunning catch from a full-stretch Dujon for 11. Overcast conditions on day three offered swing to go with the spin served up by the pitch, and only a pair of forties from Amarnath and Pataudi held up West Indies for any length of time as wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the day. It was all over by tea, Chandrasekhar last man out as Dujon claimed his fifth catch of the innings and Sobers his third wicket, and India's total of 192 had given West Indies a surprisingly comfortable innings victory with more than two whole days to spare.

West Indies have now won their last three matches on the subcontinent, two in Pakistan and this one here in Kolkata, whilst India have now lost their last four matches at home, with the unforgiving expectations of the fans seeming to work against the team. West Indies could secure the series with a win in the second Test in Mumbai, so India will need to bounce back quickly if their fans are to avoid yet more disappointment on home turf.

Scores
WI 1st Inns 356 (Kanhai 130, Sobers 49; Chandrasekhar 4-58)
IND 1st Inns 109 (Hazare 49*; Gibbs 5-29)
IND 2nd Inns 192 (Amarnath 43, Pataudi 41)

WEST INDIES WON BY AN INNINGS & 55 RUNS


Man of the Match: RB Kanhai