Sachin Tendulkar will loom large over the both of the next two India Tests against West Indies, but today, at least, was Mohammed Shami's.
The 23 year old, making his first Test appearance for India, took four wickets in leading an India attack that bowled out West Indies for 234 on Day 1 in Kolkata.
The right-armed paceman had taken 71 wickets in 33 first-class innings before getting his shot in a Test on Wednesday, and he made the most of it, bowling Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Sheldon Cottrell and having Kieran Powell caught out by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He also was involved in a run out of Darren Bravo.
In all, he bowled 17 overs, claiming two maidens and conceding 71 runs.
Improbably, Tendulkar also took a wicket, trapping Shane Shillingford leg before wicket in the 63rd over for his first Test wicket since January 2011, against South Africa.
Chris Gayle and Powell opened for West Indies, but Gayle went down for just 18, getting caught by Murali Vijay off a Kumar ball before Powell became Shami’s first victim.
Marlon Samuels, who came in at four, combined with Darren Bravo for the side’s only real productive partnership, producing 91 on the third wicket before he, too, fell to Shami. He top-scored for West Indies with 65 from 98 balls.
Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay opened India’s innings, combining for an unbeaten 37 before stumps to leave them 197 runs going into the second day.