India vs West Indies: Gill’s Captaincy Debut Dominates Early

Ahmedabad, October 2: The first morning of Shubman Gill’s Team India Test captaincy at home could hardly have gone better. On a warm Thursday in Ahmedabad, with a modest crowd trickling into the vast expanse of the Narendra Modi Stadium, Indian bowlers ripped through the West Indies top order. By lunch, the scoreboard read 90 for 5, and the visitors were staring at another uphill climb in a format that has grown increasingly unforgiving for them.

Gill’s First Test In Charge

There was nervous excitement around this game. Gill, just 26 and only a few years into his international career, has been asked to carry a responsibility most cricketers only dream of. With Rohit Sharma stepping aside, the selectors have made it clear they see him as India’s long-term Test leader. It is both an opportunity and a trial.

Gill’s first decision as captain was to back a three-pronged pace attack alongside spin, a template India has leaned on at home. The results were immediate. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj set the tone, hitting the right channels, and the pressure forced mistakes. Within the first hour, West Indies were 42 for 4. Gill’s field placements looked sharp, his bowlers disciplined, and for once India did not need to rely on a rescue job after losing the toss.

Windies’ Old Problems Resurface

West Indies skipper Roston Chase chose to bat after calling right at the toss, perhaps hoping that early runs would give his side some cushion. Instead, his team crumbled. A brief stand of 48 between Chase and Alick Athanaze offered hope, but Kuldeep Yadav broke through just before lunch, snuffing out the partnership.

The tourists arrived here already short-handed. As Reuters reported earlier this week, their premier fast bowler, Alzarri Joseph, was ruled out with a back injury, leaving a thin attack even thinner. Add to that the lack of seasoned batters who can weather long spells in Indian conditions, and it has been a familiar story: flashes of talent undone by a lack of depth.

Chase admitted before the series that the team is “not in a good position right now in terms of our Test status.” It was a brutally honest assessment, and one that was on full display in the first session today.

Why This Series Matters

For India, this two-Test contest is about much more than just beating a struggling side. After losing the 2023 World Test Championship final to Australia, every point counts if they want another shot at the trophy. This series is also about shaping the next decade of leadership. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja won’t be around forever. Gill, in many ways, represents the start of a new cycle.

The contrast with the West Indies could not be starker. Once cricket’s most feared force, they now fight just to stay relevant in Tests. Financial limitations, franchise pull, and years of decline have reduced them to underdogs in a format they once owned. For fans who remember the swagger of Viv Richards or the menace of the Ambrose-Walsh era, mornings like today are a sobering reminder of how much has changed.

Looking Ahead

The day is still young, and cricket has a way of flipping scripts when least expected. If Chase or one of the lower order can drag West Indies past 200, the contest might open up again. But right now, this is India’s game to dictate.

For Gill, every wicket, every decision, every reaction is being watched closely. Captaining India at home is a different beast, the scrutiny is sharper, the expectations louder. But if his first session is any indication, he is not shying away.

The West Indies, meanwhile, need more than just a gritty partnership. They need belief, a quality that has too often deserted them in this format. Unless they find it quickly, the gulf between the two sides will only widen as this Test wears on.

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Prakash Nair

Senior Sports Journalist – Prakash@hindustanherald.in – Web

Sports reporter covering cricket, football, and Olympic disciplines, with on-ground event experience.

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