India Record Biggest Test Win Outside Asia, Ashwin Takes 7/83

NORTH SOUND (ANTIGUA): India's supremacyremained unrivalled as they rode on Ravichandran Ashwin's 7/83to outplay the West Indies by an innings and 92 runs, theirbiggest win outside Asia, in a lopsided first cricket Test totake a 1-0 lead in the four-match series here today.

Ashwin produced an off-spin bowling masterclass andtriggered a second-innings slide that saw the hosts collapsefrom 88/2 to 132/8 on the fourth and penultimate day.

A defiant ninth-wicket stand of 95, West Indies' highestin the game, between Carlos Brathwaite (51 not out) andDevendra Bishoo (45) delayed the inevitable before Ashwin cameback to seal the issue by bowling the hosts out for 231.

This was also the Tamil Nadu spinner's first five-wickethaul outside the Asian continent.

India bowled out the West Indies for 243 in their firstinnings, having amassed 566 for eight declared after opting tobat. Forced to follow-on after conceding a massive lead of323, the hosts failed to cope up with intense pressure createdby Ashwin and Co on a pitch that offered assistance to slowbowlers.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the visitors shot outthe hosts in three hours over the post lunch and tea sessionto finish their two innings at 243 and 231.

After tea, Brathwaite reached his third Test fifty, butthe rest of the innings folded in just over 40 minutes. Bishoohit straight to midwicket off Ashwin in the 78th over, andthree balls later bowled Shannon Gabriel (4) to wrap up theproceedings with a day to spare.

Post lunch, it was an extended session of play whichproved enough for India to force a win. But first they had tobreak through the 67-run partnership between RajendraChandrika (31) and Marlon Samuels (50). The two batsmen beganagain in the same vein, trying to play for time, and in doingso, the latter crossed the 50-mark off 74 balls raising hopesof a fight back.

But it was short-lived as Chandrika had a faintinside-edge off Ashwin in the 36th over, judged accurately bythe umpire and caught on the third attempt by Wriddhiman Saha.

It started the slide for West Indies and the off-spinnerbarged into the opening he had found.

In the very next over, he removed Jermaine Blackwood (0)for a second duck in the match, with skipper Virat Kohliholding a magnificent diving catch at midwicket to aid in thedismissal.

Then came the best moment for Ashwin, as a beautifuldelivery beat Samuels' straight bat and knocked back hisoff-stump in the 42nd over.

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