After MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bowl first, even the most optimistic of fans could not have predicted the sort of day that transpired. It was a dream first day really for all India fans, as they saw their side's bowlers come up trumps and whittle down the West Indies for a small score, before getting to watch their greatest icon set himself up perfectly for a day to remember on Friday.
Put to bat by Dhoni, the West Indies gave the prime example of the domino effect with their batting - where in one batsmen fell after the other with unerring regularity, and with it making the Indian bowlers, the spinners in particular, smile in delight.
The visitors were bundled out for a mere 182 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, courtesy some smart spin bowling from Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin, who picked up five and three wickets respectively.
In reply, India were on 157 for two at the end of the day's play, trailing by just 25 runs, with Sachin Tendulkar, in his 200th and final Test, batting brilliantly on 38 (73b, 6x4), while Cheteshwar Pujara was giving him good company on 34 (49b, 4x4).
The West Indies batsmen were criticised and maligned by everyone out there after their abysmal performance with the bat in the first Test in Kolkata. Sammy and coach Ottis Gibson, understanding the need to strengthen the batting, brought in Narsingh Deonarine to the team at the expense of spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
It mattered very little though as their all-too familiar failings with the bat came to the fore yet again, albeit aided by some brilliant spin bowling on a pitch which was offering a lot for the slower bowlers.
Chris Gayle, the Test cricketer is like an enigma - there is no ever-ready smile, no smirk of dominance, and no fear searing through the bowlers veins and spines at the sight of the big left-hander in whites.
Gayle the Test cricketer is a meek version of the authoritative one-day batsman, and another failure it proved to be as Mohammed Shami - not Bhuvneshar Kumar - dismissed the opener.
R Ashwin then took his moment in the spotlight on the first day, dropping a simple catch which would have seen Kieran Powell walking back to the pavilion before making amends by taking the wicket of Darren Bravo, who was looking pretty good in the middle having built a partnership of 61 with Powell.
That made the score 86 for two, and West Indies went into Lunch soon after in a pretty good position. However, the second session belonged completely to India as eight wickets tumbled with ferocious pace.
Powell was dismissed by the excellent Ojha (five for 40), before Marlon Samuels' painful stay of 19 (59b) was ended by the left-armer again.
Kumar would get his wicket for the innings - a ripper that dismissed Shivnarine Chanderpaul, playing his 150th Test match.
The rest of the wickets belonged to the spin twins as India systematically dismantled the West Indies batting - well there are arguments over that - lineup.
In reply to the far-from-daunting score, the Indian openers, probably forgetting that they were playing a Test match, began the innings in one-day mode - scoring boundaries at will and making the West Indies chase leather at every possibly opportunity.
Dhawan and Vijay raced to 77 in just the 14th over, before two wickets in two balls stopped the onslaught.
Shane Shillingford (two for 46), the man who picked up six wickets for the West Indies in the previous match, first dismissed Dhawan (33, 28b, 7x4), who gave his wicket away playing a false shot, before sending Vijay (43, 55b, 8x4) back as well.
Vijay's wicket was met with a stunning ovation, as Sachin Tendulkar walked into the crease and the little big man did not let any of his fans down.
Tendulkar was in his elements, playing the cover drive, the cut shot, the flick and the patented straight drive with ridiculous ease and grace as India drove to 157 for two at the close of play with the promise of much, much more on Friday.
