'Better to have too many options than... ': Shubman Gill reacts to India's crushing win over West Indies

India’s dominance over West Indies in the opening Test was complete, as the hosts wrapped up a convincing win by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in Ahmedabad.

Vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja was the star of the show, scoring an unbeaten 104 and following it up with a four-wicket haul to hand India a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

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After declaring on their overnight score of 448 for 5, India bowled out West Indies for 146 in their second innings. Jadeja finished with 4 for 54, while Mohammed Siraj (3/31) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/23) provided strong support. It was a performance that showed India’s strength at home, with both pacers and spinners contributing across three days.

Skipper Shubman Gill called it a near-perfect outing. “Honestly, I think this was a perfect game for us. Three centurions in the game, and I think we fielded really well in both innings. So, honestly, I don't really have any complaints,” he said at the post-match presentation.

Gill himself, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, missed out after making starts, something he admitted with a smile. “Yeah, definitely. Whenever you get a start—on a wicket like this, which was pretty good to bat on—you want to convert. We both got starts but couldn’t carry on, but plenty of others did. So, happy for them.”

The match highlighted India’s bowling depth, with both seam and spin options contributing to the win. Gill acknowledged the challenge of managing such a diverse attack and picking from so many options.

“As a skipper, it is always a challenge to manage so many options, deciding who to give the ball to. But I think it’s always better to have too many choices rather than too few. That’s the challenge and also the fun of playing in India—there will always be someone ready to get the job done,” he said.

Reflecting on his journey as captain, Gill stressed the importance of growth.

“What I’ve learned is hard to pin down to one or two things. But over the last two years, the way we have bonded, and how we’ve pulled ourselves out of tough situations, has been really pleasing to see. We are still a learning side, and as long as we keep learning from our experiences, I believe we will continue to be on the positive side of results.”

The second Test begins in New Delhi on October 10.

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