Preview: The wait is finally over. Team India are back in action again. And this time, a new look Team India will take field when they face West Indies in the first Test in Dominica on Wednesday. Promising youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal has been confirmed to open for India, while Shubman Gill bats at number three.
More importantly, India will be looking for a fresh start against the Windies, after their forgettable 209-run defeat to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June. And a month on from that loss, India’s 2023-25 WTC cycle gets promptly underway.
India will be without Mohammed Shami, who has been rested, and the injured Jasprit Bumrah. Instead, the visitors’ pace attack will be led by Mohammed Siraj. Siraj, with 52 Test wickets, is the most experienced of the lot, that also consists of Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Jaydev Unadkat and Mukesh Kumar.
While Siraj and Thakur are all but set to feature in the playing XI, the toss up is likely to be between Navdeep Saini, Jaydev Unadkat and Mukesh Kumar, with Mukesh yet to make his Test debut.
A similar toss-up for the wicketkeeper’s spot is also likely, with KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan fighting for the place. Bharat has scored 129 runs from eight Test innings, while Kishan is yet to make his senior debut in the longest format.
Meanwhile, West Indies, too will be looking to start from scratch following their failure to qualify for the ODI World Cup in India later this year.
The Windies have dropped stars like Roston Chase and included young batting all-rounder Alick Athanaze, who is in line to make his Test debut on Wednesday.
Rakheem Cornwall, who last played a Test for West Indies in 2021, will also feature in the XI.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who has had quite a last 12 months scoring 453 runs, will be the X-factor for the Windies.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma(Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Srikar Bharat, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite(Captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jason Holder, Raymon Reifer, Kirk McKenzie, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel, Jomel Warrican
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
