In Stats: Ashwin’s 4th Straight 5-Wicket Haul & More From Day 1

All the big numbers from day 1 of the Jamaica Test between India and West Indies.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s 5-wicket haul and KL Rahul’s unbeaten 75 put India in a commanding position at the end of the first day’s play of the Jamaica Test match against the West Indies. Despite losing the toss, India snatched control of the Test very early through Ishant Sharma, who struck twice consecutively in his third over. Ashwin cleaned up the middle order, to help bowl out the hosts for 196. The Indian opening pair thereafter put the team in a commanding position with an 87-run opening stand. India finished the day at 126-1, still 70 runs in arrears but with 9 first-innings wickets in hand.

The Quint looks at some important numbers from the first day’s play.

Darren Bravo’s Poor Record at Home

Darren Bravo, who made scores of 11 & 10 in the first Test at Antigua, was dismissed for a first-ball duck. The left-hander was sucked into falling for one which was angled away, and the ball took the outside edge and the opportunity was snared by Virat Kohli at second slip.

An extremely talented player, Darren Bravo was spoken about as one destined for greatness. However, the 27-year old hasn’t quite made his mark yet – especially while playing at home.

While playing in the familiar surrounds of home conditions, Darren averages a dismal 29.34, which shoots to 51.18 in overseas Tests. The difference of 21.85 between home and away averages is the highest for players who have played at least 40 Test matches and who have better averages on the road than while playing at home.

The West Indies, 7-3 at one stage, recovered to finish at 196 – mainly because a few of their batsmen took the aggressive way to break out of trouble. Jermaine Blackwood hit four sixes, Marlon Samuels and Miguel Cummins hit two sixes a piece and Shannon Gabriel hit one. It was only the third time that the West Indies – in their 86-year Test history – had hit nine sixes while batting first in a Test match.

Ashwin’s 5-52 in the first innings – the first 5-wicket haul by a spinner in Test matches at the Sabina Park since Anil Kumble’s 6-78 in 2006 - was the fourth consecutive Test match in which the off-spinner had returned with a 5-wicket haul. His performance helped him find a place in an elite club of Indian bowlers who have picked up 5-wicket hauls in four consecutive Test matches.

If and when R Ashwin gets a crack at bowling at the West Indies for a second time in the match, he will have a chance at setting a new high. Together with his 5-wicket haul in the first innings, Ashwin’s tally of wickets in Test cricket now stands at 188 wickets in 34 Tests. The record for most wickets after 34 Test matches stands in the name of Waqar Younis, who took 191 wickets. Ashwin needs 4 more wickets to break the record and set a new high.