Spinner's high and a tailspin

Ashwin's 12-wicket haul helps visitors to an innings and 141 runs victory against a floundering Windies

- Somshuvra Laha

In the history of mismatches, this possibly ranks somewhere near the top of the more embarrassing ones. West Indies, long fallen from grace, were rolled over within three days, their batting surviving for only 115 overs, their bowlers made to toil in the harsh Dominica sun for 152.2 overs till Rohit Sharma decided enough was enough.

A first-innings lead of 271 was never to be threatened. But the speed at which West Indies kept losing wickets is bound to raise the question if they are worthy contenders in Test cricket, and a justified enough reason to sacrifice our sleep. Appalling results in the T20 World Cup, failing to qualify for the ODI World Cup for the first time and now this, Calypso cricket may well and truly be on its last legs.

India didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary to pocket this Test. Once given the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja-introduced in tandem four overs into the second innings were on autopilot. They shared 17 of the 20 wickets with Ashwin claiming match figures of 12 for 131, his best in overseas Tests.

"The results speak for themselves," said Sharma. "Both these guys have been doing it for a while for us now. They know exactly what is expected out of them. There's not much to tell them what we need to do. It's just about going to them and giving them that freedom to go and express, because that is when they're doing their best for the side as well."