India opened their home Test season with an emphatic innings and 140-run victory over the West Indies, concluding the contest inside three days at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This dominant performance provides a crucial uplift to India’s campaign in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (2025–27 cycle).
The two-time finalists have now climbed to third place in the nine-team WTC table, holding a 55.56 PCT (Points Percentage) after six matches. Australia and Sri Lanka currently occupy the top two positions.
Leading from the front, Ravindra Jadeja delivered a standout all-round performance in what marked his 50th Test at home. Notably, this was his first home Test without his long-time spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired last December. Jadeja commented on Ashwin’s absence after the win: “I was playing a (Test) match in India without Ash for the first time, so sometimes I did find myself thinking, yeah, Ash will come on and bowl, and then realising he isn’t there. But Kuldeep (Yadav) and Washy (Washington Sundar) have already played so many matches, and we can’t call them youngsters, but it was a different combination. In the future, you will ask, Jaddu isn’t here, and someone else will be there. This is inevitable, but it feels good to contribute to the team.”
Jadeja was exceptional with both bat and ball, striking an unbeaten 104 and later dismantling the visitors with four wickets in their second innings.
The foundation for India’s dominance was laid early by their pace attack, spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, who restricted West Indies to a mere 162 runs in the first innings. Siraj finished with four wickets, backed by disciplined spells from the rest of the attack.
In response, India asserted control with the bat. KL Rahul anchored the innings with a fluent 100, Dhruv Jurel added a composed 125, and Jadeja’s unbeaten century pushed India to a formidable total of 448 before declaring.
Facing a massive deficit, the West Indies struggled once more in their second outing. While Alick Athanaze (38) and Justin Greaves (25) offered brief resistance, Siraj’s three wickets and Jadeja’s spin burst ensured a swift finish to the match.
This marks India’s second straight victory in the WTC cycle, following their drawn 2-2 series against England earlier this year. With the Ahmedabad win, the Shubman Gill-led side has gained crucial momentum ahead of the series decider in Delhi, starting October 10.