Ravichandran Ashwin’s vindication on Day 1 in World Test Championship final last month at Windsor Park is one of the most debated exclusions in the history of Indian Cricket, hard for people to digest.

It would be incorrect to infer that Ashwin’s presence at The Oval would have changed the outcome because the current crop of West Indies batsmen is not on the same level as players like Steve Smith and Travis Head. To show that he can counter any approach, the off-spinner, however, demonstrated all of his tools at his disposal.

Of course, the conditions in Dominica were a far cry from what they had encountered in south London in early June. With eight wickets divided between them on a dry surface and sufficient of support, Ashwin and his spin-twin Ravindra Jadeja would have felt completely at home in their ability to bowl out the hosts for just 150 in under 65 overs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal needed 16 balls to make his Test debut, which he did with a cut shot over point, when it was India’s time to bat. There were few fears other than the fact that skipper Rohit Sharma survived a “umpire’s call” on an LBW appeal against express Alzarri Joseph. One of the highlights was the speedster’s direct drive to a full ball.

The eighth over saw the introduction of spin, in the form of Rahkeem Cornwall, but the openers appeared set in for the long haul. With all 10 wickets remaining, Sharma (30 batting) and Jaiswal (40 batting) had advanced India above the halfway point of the hosts’ total with an unbroken stand of 80.

Depending on how you look at it, Jaiswal displayed his confidence when he reverse-swept left-arm spinner Jamal Warrican for four runs on a ball that pitched well beyond his leg-stump. Some worries regarding the transition process that Indian cricket has started may be partially answered if Shubman Gill performs well in his new position as No. 3 and gets a big score on the second day. Final confirmation, however, could have to wait for a few more difficult obstacles, with all due respect to the West Indies.