2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 1st Test vs West Indies ft. Washington Sundar's usage

India cruised to a thumping win over the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 4. Shubman Gill and Co. triumphed by an innings and 140 runs to take a commanding 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Gill remarked that is was a near-perfect display, and it was. Almost all players who participated in the contest had productive outings, and the hosts got the job done inside three days. The Windies batted the least balls in a Test against India in their history, marking just how one-sided the Test was.

It was a comprehensive win, but there were a couple of small aspects where India could've done better. On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by them in the first Test against the West Indies.

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#3 Mistake - Washington Sundar could've been given a bigger role with the ball

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Three - Source: Getty

The previous Test series against England saw Washington Sundar emerge as a formidable bowling threat even in unhelpful conditions. The off-spinner's control and ability to generate appreciable drift helped him become one of the team's frontline weapons.

In the first Test against the West Indies, Sundar was the last bowler introduced in both innings. He helped himself to a couple of wickets and seemed threatening, and India would've done well to give him a more central role with the ball. In the first innings, he came on only in the 34th over, when the visitors had already lost six wickets.

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#2 Masterstroke - Ravindra Jadeja's counter-attack was important

England v India - 5th Rothesay Test Match: Day Five - Source: Getty

When KL Rahul was dismissed for a well-made century, India were 218/4 in the 68th over. Had the West Indies capitalized on that momentum, they may have been able to ask some serious questions of the hosts' lower-middle order.

However, Ravindra Jadeja, who came in at No. 6, played his role to perfection. He didn't let the Windies' spinners settle into a rhythm and used his feet well to convert good balls into scoring opportunities. The left-hander got off to a fast start, which isn't his normal tempo in red-ball cricket.

Jadeja's assault also ensured that Dhruv Jurel didn't have to take any risks at the other end, and India soon entered a commanding position despite the fall of two wickets in quick succession.

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#1 Mistake - India's overnight declaration didn't make much sense

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

India were comfortably placed at 448/5 at Stumps on Day 2, and strangely, they decided to declare and put the West Indies in to bat for the second time. That meant that the duo of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy didn't get to spend much time in the middle.

It's understandable that India wanted to get the job done, but they still had three days to play with nothing adverse on the weather forecast. The hosts could've used that time to ensure that their lower middle-order batters, and maybe even the tail, found some rhythm.