KL Rahul’s resilience helps India to post 121/2 against West Indies at stumps (Day 1)

AHMEDABAD: A calm and composed half-century from K L Rahul powered India to 121/2, trailing by 41 runs at the end of Day 1 against the West Indies on Thursday.

India lost just two wickets in the third session on Day 1 of the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan falling to the West Indies bowlers. Jaiswal and Rahul opened the innings for India. Host reached 23/0 after 12.4 overs, with both the openers at the crease, when the rain interrupted the game.

Before rain interrupted the game’s play, West Indies bowlers tested Indian openers with their tight line and length. After taking some time to settle in, Jaiswal switched gears and started dealing in boundaries after the restart. India reached 59/0 after 17 overs. Jaiswal, trying to be aggressive, lost his wicket in the 19th over. A short length delivery, close to the body, Jaiswal tried to cut and edged it behind to the wicketkeeper.

20th Test half-century for KL Rahul!

A fine knock from him as #TeamIndia move past 100.

Updates https://t.co/MNXdZceTab#INDvWI | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/01PFqjMnck

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2025

Jayden Seales scalped the first wicket, sending Jaiswal back to the pavilion for 36, and Sai Sudharsan joined Rahul at the crease. At drinks, India reached 83/1 after 22 overs, trailing behind by 79 runs with KL Rahul (39)* and Sai Sudharsan (5)* unbeaten on the crease.

West Indies captain Roston Chase picked up a wicket in his first over. It was Sai Sudharsan who had to depart on 7 (19). He tried to pull the ball away but got trapped lbw in front of the stumps. India reached 103/2 after 30 overs, with Rahul and Indian skipper Shubman Gill at the crease. India were trailing the West Indies’ small first innings total of 162 by 59 runs.

Rahul completed his 20th Test half-century in 101 deliveries, but also seemed to be struggling with his hamstrings. Earlier in the day, a combined bowling effort from the India bowlers bundled out the West Indies side at a mere total of 162 runs at the end of the second session.

For the Shubman Gill-led side, the wicket takers were Mohammed Siraj (4/40 in 14 overs), Jasprit Bumrah (3/42 in 14 overs), Kuldeep Yadav (2/25 in 6.1 overs) and Washington Sundar (1/9 in 3 overs). At the stroke of Tea on Day 1, the West Indies side was bowled out for 162 runs, with left-hand batter Jayden Seales (6*) remaining unbeaten at the end.

The Caribbean side resumed the second session of the day from 90/5 in 23.2 overs with Roston Chase (22*) unbeaten on the crease. Right-hand batter Justin Greeves joined the captain in the middle in the post-lunch session.

On the second ball of the 27th over, the Roston Chase-led side crossed the 100-run mark as Mohammed Siraj gave away five wides. On the fifth ball of the same over, the West Indies Cricket Team lost their sixth wicket as Chase (24 runs off 43 balls) was sent back through a caught-behind delivery.

After the skipper’s departure, left-hand batter Khary Pierre came in the middle to bat. At the score of 144 in the 38th over, Pierre (11 runs from 34 balls) was dismissed by spinner Washington Sundar.

In the 39th over, the West Indies side touched the 150-run mark. In the same over, the team lost their eighth wicket as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Greeves (32 runs in 48 balls) through a perfectly bowled yorker. In the 41st over, Bumrah took one more wicket as he bowled the opponent batter Johann Layne (1). The last to come out to bat in the middle was left-hand batter Jayden Seales, who joined Warrican.

The visitors were bowled out for just 162 runs as wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav took the wicket of Warrican who scored eight runs before going back. Earlier in the first session, West Indies skipper Roston Chase won the toss and elected to bat first. After winning the toss, batters John Campbell and Tagenarine Chandrerpaul came out to open the innings for the visitors.

The Caribbean side didn’t have the start they wanted, as they lost the first wicket at 12, with Siraj dismissing Chanderpaul (0) in the fourth over of the innings. After the opener’s departure, left-hand batter Alick Athanaze came to bat. Athanaze, along with Campbell, was able to add just eight runs before the latter was sent back to the pavilion by Jasprit Bumrah on the first ball of the seventh over.

Following Campbell’s wicket, right-hand batter Brandon King (13 runs off 15 balls) came in the middle to bat. He played some attacking shots during his knock, but he was later cleaned up by Siraj in the 10th over when the team’s score was 39.

After the fall of three wickets, team skipper Roston Chase came out to bat. He, along with Athanaze, was able to add just three runs as the latter was dismissed in the 12th over by Siraj. Following the fourth wicket, wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope came out to bat and joined Chase. The Roston Chase-led side touched the 50-run mark on the last ball of the 13th over as Hope slammed a boundary on the bowling of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

At the score of 90, the visitors lost their fifth wicket as left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav took the wicket of Shai Hope (26 runs from 36 balls). After the end of the first session on the first day of the Test match, the West Indies side had lost half of their side at just 90 runs.

At the end of the second session, the West Indies side were bowled out for 162 runs, with left-hand batter Jayden Seales (6*) remaining unbeaten at the end.

Brief Scores: West Indies 162 all out (Justin Greeves 32, Shai Hope 26; Mohammed Siraj 4/40) vs India 121/2 (KL Rahul 53*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36; Jayden Seales 1/21). (ANI)