West Indies vs India, 2nd Test, Day 1: Yet another Ashwin 5-for destroys Windies

Kingston: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin produced yet another spell binding bowling display as Indian bowlers toyed with West Indies batsman on the first day of second Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.

West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss and selected to bat first, but an opening burst of ferocious bowling from Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami reduced the Caribbean innings to 7/3 inside the first ten overs.

Middle-order batsman Jermaine Blackwood's (62) fighting half-century lifted a lacklustre West Indies to 88/4 at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against India here on Saturday.

But soon, the hosts batting line up crumbled as Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami returned to take three more wickets.

At the time of filing the report, West Indies were at 158/9 with Ashwin completing his 18th fifve-wicket haul in 34 Tests. Skipper Holder (13) became his fifth victim.

Indian seamers utilised the conditions to perfection at the Sabina Park as Ishant Sharma and Shami reduced the hosts to 7/3 before off-spinner Ashwin struck just at the stroke of lunch to put the West Indies on the backfoot.

On what was touted as a pacy green track before the start of the match, Sharma extracted good bounce to dismiss opener Kraigg Brathwaite (1) and then Darren Bravo for a duck off the very next delivery.

Bravo's poor run with the bat continued as he failed to read the Delhi pacer's length ball outside off to be caught brilliantly by Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Shami then joined the party by packing the other opener Rajendra Chandrika (5) with a slightly back of length delivery, which induced the right-hander to go for a flash but instead got a thick edge to be caught at slips by Lokesh Rahul.

With the hosts reeling at 7/3, veteran Marlon Samuels and Blackwood led the fightback with a 81-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Blackwood was unfazed with the situation his team was in and started playing his natural game from the start. His run-a-ball 62 included seven boundaries and four sixes before one from Ashwin turned sharply to send him back just before the lunch break.

Soon after, Blackwood's fall West Indies lost their most experience batsman Samuels. It was followed by the wickets of Roston Chase (10) and Shane Dowrich (5).

Earlier, West Indies skipper Jason Holder won the toss and elected to bat. They have included debutant pacer Miguel Cummins, replacing all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite.

India, meanwhile picked opener Rahul in the playing XI in place of the injured Murali Vijay.

(With Agency inputs)