Kolkata: It was a dream debut for Mohammed Shami in Test as the pacer scalped four for 71 in 18 overs to put India in driver's seat against West Indies on the first day of the first Test at Eden Gardens, here on Wednesday.
The hosts bowled out the visitors 234 and was comfortably placed at 37/0 with Shikhar Dhawan playing on 21 and Murali Vijay batting on 16. India trailed the West Indies by 197 runs with all their wickets intact.
Deciding to bat after winning the toss, West Indies lost Chris Gayle and Keiron Powell early with the scoreboard reading just 47. However, Marlon Samuels and D Bravo combined well to take the visitors well past hundred by the lunch break. But Shami wreaked havoc in the second session, extracting excellent reverse swings from the Eden pitch to trigger a collapse. The touring side lost eight wickets for 96 runs to be skittled out in 78 overs.
Samules scored 65 off 98 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes.
Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (1/62) too was impressive but was unlucky twice as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped Samuels and Shane Shillingford on two occasions. Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 2/52.
Shami, who plays for Bengal in Ranji, got his maiden Test scalp in the form of Powell (28) after Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave the initial breakthrough, taking the wicket of Chris Gayle (18). Bhuvneshwar got Gayle with a low delivery.
Shami then sent Powell back to the pavilion, but therefater, Samuels repaired the damage as he completed his 19th half century. However, Shami grabbe his second wicket in the form of Samuels, which broke a fine 91-run partnership with Bravo.
Dhoni gave the last over before tea to Tendulkar, bringing the crowd on its feet. It turned out be a masterstroke by the 'Captain Cool' as after bowling three deliveries, the maestro bowled a flipper and Shillingford had no answer.
Therafter Ashwin came in to party, as he took the wicket of Permaul and later dismissed veteran Chanderpaul to make it 233/9 for West Indies. An over later Shami clean-bowled Cottrell to finish the Windies innings for 234.
