On Day 1, Shubman Gill suddenly started dancing as the Windies innings came to an end. He appeared to be in a good mood.
In the Caribbean, Shubman Gill (R) displays his dance moves.(Twitter)
On Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies on Wednesday, Team India had a commanding performance, dismissing the visitors for 150 before closing the day unbeaten at 80. With his 33rd five-
wicket haul in the longest format, Ravichandran Ashwin was the standout bowler, while Ravindra Jadeja added three more as the Windies hitters appeared completely lost when facing the spin pair. Meanwhile,
Yashasvi Jaiswal made his Test debut and played well, finishing unbeaten on 40 off 73 deliveries.
Shubman Gill was moved to third place in the Indian batting order as a result of Cheteshwar Pujara’s
exclusion, while Yashasvi took his place at the top of the order. The plea for the no. 3 position came directly from Shubman to Rahul Dravid, according to India captain Rohit Sharma. Shubman insisted that he had spent the majority of his cricketing career in that position.
Shubman Gill
Also read: Ashwin’s complete set of records for the IND vs. WI first test, from passing Kumble to joining Malcolm Marshall
Shubman appeared to be in a good mood as the Windies innings came to an end after his wish had been granted as India had a great day in the field on Day 1. Shubman, standing in the forward short-leg
position, broke into a dance with teammate Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan nearby as India only needed one wicket to end West Indies’ batting order.
Shubman, who is widely considered as one of the most gifted batters of the current age, is only 23 years
old but has already secured a spot in the Indian squads for all forms. The right-handed batter, though, will have a new obstacle in the first Test when he pads up at the same location in international cricket, despite having batted at no. 3 in local cricket.
The Windies had previously won the toss in Dominica and chosen to bat after being guided by Kraigg Brathwaite. The team lost players early, as off-spinner Ashwin ran roughshod over the middle, leaving the
hosts in trouble at 68/4 before lunch. Only Alick Athanaze (47), who was batting at number five, managed to hold one end against the Indian bowlers. Additionally, Ashwin, who finished with figures of 5/60 in 24.3 overs, eliminated the batter.
Yashasvi and Rohit Sharma both held onto their unbroken positions at 30 and faced 65 deliveries as India trailed by 70 runs with ten wickets still in hand.
The Ashes 2023 Third Test Day 4: Visual action
After two exhilarating sessions of blow-for-blow combat between England and Australia, the hosts prevailed by three wickets and retained the Ashes. They are now behind 2-1.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, and Joe Root all lost in the opening session as Australia dealt a heavy blow. (AFP) Brook carried the majority of the pursuit in the second session. (AFP)
Ben Stokes went out after the first ball of the second session, and Jonny Bairstow followed soon after, giving the impression that Australia had taken a slight lead. (Action images via Reuters)
But Australia’s door was shut by Chris Woakes and Harry Brook. Only when Brook fell on 75 did the pair’s 59 run partnership for the seventh wicket end.(Reuters/Action Images)
Then Mark Wood entered and destroyed any opportunities that Australia saw. The winning runs were then scored by Chris Woakes with a four. (AFP)
Ashwin reflects on his ‘unfortunate’ WTC Final omission following the fifer vs. WI game and says it may have been the pinnacle of his career.
Following a spectacular five-wicket performance against the West Indies, Ashwin thought back on being dropped out of the starting XI for the WTC Final last month.
In Dominica, the hosts were bowled out for just 150 before giving up 80 without penetrating India’s defence on the first day of the first Test between India and West Indies, demonstrating the disparity in talent between the two teams that many had feared. With his 33rd five-wicket haul, Ravichandran Ashwin
destroyed the Windies batting order and moved up to sixth place among all bowlers in cricket history.
Day one of the First Test between India and the West Indies features bowling by Ravichandran Ashwin of India.(AFP)
After being passed over for the World Test Championship final last month, Ashwin returned to the Indian XI, much to the chagrin of the cricketing community. India ultimately lost the match by a score of 209
runs, which increased the criticism of the team’s management for benching the top off-spinner.
Additional text must be included: “Neither does anyone make such a demand, nor is anyone given that luxury” Ex-Indian celebrity in response to Shubman’s “unusual” third request
And it appears that Ashwin is still really upset over missing the final because he talked extensively about it
after taking the wicket against the West Indies. The 36-year-old off-spinner stressed the need for a great comeback after being denied the chance to play for the team in the crucial title match.
“Sitting out is acceptable as a cricketer when you have a chance to play in the WTC Final. After India scored 80/0 at day’s end, Ashwin stated, “For me, it was how do I react and how do I make sure the dressing room is up and about.”
“Winning the WTC Final is the most important thing, and it could have been a very high point in my career. I could have played a good role in it, but it was just unfortunate that it didn’t pan out and the first day left us too far behind in the shed.”
Ashwin thinks that playing well on the field is the only way to overcome the rejection; “sulking” over what happened won’t help.
“But what makes me any different from someone else who will pout (about being fired)?” The off-spinner stated, “All I would like to leave it with is some understanding and my best efforts on the pitch for my colleagues and India cricket as a nation.
It was also Ashwin’s fifth five-wicket haul against the West Indies as he concluded with stats of 5/60 in 23.5 overs. By taking the wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of batting icon Shivnarine, during the
first innings, he also made history by becoming the first Indian to dismiss a father-son team in a Test match.
Day 3 of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia: Action in photos
Day 3 of the third Ashes Test in Leeds saw plenty of rain as England and Australia battled it out at Headingley.
Day 3 of the Ashes was delayed owing to hours of rain.(AFP)
After a delayed start, Australia produced 224 in their second innings, led by Travis Head’s 77.(Reuters/Action Images)
Chris Woakes and Mark Wood both took two wickets in the third Ashes Test for England.(AFP)
Openers Zak Crawley (9) and Ben Duckett (18) survived as England made 27/0 at Stumps and will need 224 runs to win on Day 4.(AP)
Back to Ashwin’s never-ending pursuit of perfection.
Taking a fifer, becoming the third Indian to record 700 wickets, and dismissing a father-son combination are all in a day’s work for Ashwin.
Ravichandran is well-known throughout the world. When he should be delivering extended, probing spells from one end, befuddling hitters with his skill and slick artistry, Ashwin has deserved better than to
be constrained by discussion of matchups, team balance, and facile stereotyping.
But life happens when you’re too busy making other plans. But, because Ashwin is so painstakingly pragmatic, he also plans for worst-case scenarios. One such game was the World Test Championship final.
“It’s very difficult as a cricketer when you have a shot at the WTC final and you are sitting out,” Ashwin
said after the first day of the first Test in Roseau, Dominica, ended on Wednesday. “But what makes me different from another youngster if I end up sulking inside the locker room?” I was physically and
emotionally prepared for the WTC final, but I was also mentally prepared not to play. How do I answer if I’m not playing? How can I ensure that the dressing room is fully operational? Because the most
important thing is to win the WTC final. It could have been a turning point in my career, and I could have
played a good role in it. It’s just unfortunate it didn’t pan out.
Cut to the West Indies, to a slow but bouncy pitch in Roseau, and it’s business as usual for Ashwin. Another five-wicket haul, third Indian cricketer after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to reach 700
international wickets, with the added bonus of becoming only the fifth bowler in history to dismiss a father-son duo in Test cricket, and you begin to wonder what would have possessed India’s think tank to even consider dropping such a matchwinner like him. However, Ashwin appreciates the reality checks.
“There is no human being who hasn’t gone through the highs without going through the lows,” he added at the end of the day’s play, with India putting on 80 runs for the opening partnership after West Indies
were bowled for 150, a lead partly built by Ashwin’s 5/60.
“When you have lows, you have two options: you can sulk and complain and go down, or you can learn from it.” I am someone who has always learned from his lows. In reality, the nicest thing that will happen
after my fantastic day is that I will eat a good supper, have a pleasant talk with my family, and then go to bed and forget about it. Because you know when you’ve had a good day when you’ve had a good day.
There are things you can improve on for tomorrow. So this relentless pursuit of greatness has always served me well. But it’s also been quite exhausting.”
Even at home, Ashwin must usually wait until the second hour of the day to work on the ball. However, the circumstances in Dominica were so good that Rohit Sharma hurled the ball at Ashwin after only eight
overs. The pitch was undeniably sticky, with irregular patches of dead grass barely covering the surface.