• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • Ind Crush Wi In 1st Test Lessons We Learned As Gills Team Outshines Struggling Visitors

IND crush WI in 1st Test: Lessons we learned as Gill's team outshines struggling visitors

Anurag Dasgupta

IND Vs WI key takeaways [Source: AFP Photo] IND Vs WI key takeaways [Source: AFP Photo]

As expected, the Indian team crushed the West Indies side inside 2.5 days to clinch the first Test by a margin of an innings and 140 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Throughout the Test match, the Windies lacked the basics to tackle the Indian bowlers, and on a relatively good batting surface, their batters crumbled under pressure.

This was India’s first home assignment in the new WTC cycle, and the Shubman Gill-led side thrashed the visitors to take a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series. This was a dominant performance by the Indian team, and here are three key things we learned from their emphatic win.

1) West Indies, a pale shadow of its former self

There is a reason why experts are calling for the introduction of a two-tier system in Test match cricket, and it is partly due to the performances by the weaker teams. The West Indies were never expected to win the contest against India, but fans hoped for a tough fight. However, that didn’t materialise as the match ended inside 2.5 days.

Once known as the powerhouse of world cricket, West Indies cricket has fallen, and the Ahmedabad Test reveals the entire story. They are many places below the Indian Test team, and the squad needs a massive overhaul to succeed in red-ball cricket.

2) KL Rahul, India's most dependable batter

Criterion
Data
Matches7
Runs649
Average49.92
50s/100s2/3

(KL Rahul stats in 2025)

  • He has been outstanding in 2025, and the stats tell the story. He has amassed 649 runs in seven games, with 3 centuries to his name. Also, his average is just a notch below 50, and it showcases his consistency this year in Test cricket.
  • While the likes of Shubman Gill, and Ravindra Jadeja have scored truckloads of runs, they have accumulated runs after KL Rahul absorbed the early pressure in tricky situations. He did the same thing in the first Test as he played cautiously in the early going against the Windies, but picked up pace once the pitch got better.

3) Siraj outshines Bumrah

Just like the England Test tour, Mohammed Siraj continues to outshine his teammate, Jasprit Bumrah, in Test cricket. While Bumrah is arguably India’s best bowler, in the last two series, it has been Siraj who has outsmarted everyone.

While Bumrah looked a bit erratic in the first innings against the Windies, Siraj was spot on, as he managed to pick up 4 for 40 to decimate the visitors. Bumrah is certainly better than Siraj, but the Hyderabad pacer has become India’s pace attack leader, and the West Indies Test showcased his prowess.