New Delhi: Shubman Gill-led Team India would be the hot favourites when they take on the struggling West Indies side in the first Test of the two-game series in Ahmedabad from Thursday. The Indian team players have left no stone unturned to get themselves prepared for red-ball cricket after their emphatic victory in the Asia Cup, which was marked by a lot of drama.
A lot has changed since India played their last home Test series in November 2024 as batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma called it quits from the format and so did the legendary Ravichandran Ashwin. Though the India-West Indies Test series is not among the much-anticipated ones yet the stakes would he high as the World Test Championship points are on offer.
The confident Indian side will enter into the Test series after a 2-2 draw against England earlier in the summer which has placed the side at third position, as pot above England. The first match would be crucial for the Indian side as they will look to add as many points as possible with a green pitch in offing at the Narendra Modi Stadium. While the weather is expected to be hot and humid in the city but there are chances of rain interruptions which should turn the game into an interesting ones.
Absence of veterans a non-issue for India?
The absence of the veteran players like Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin, who used to lead the side with their experience in the toughest format should prove as a non-issue for the Indian side as it doesn’t deplete the firepower across departments. With no Mohammed Shami to be seen either, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are enough to push the Windies against the wall.
If the pacers aren’t enough to silence the West Indies batting, spin, which has a major role to play on Indian pitches, would do the job for the hosts. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to be the primary spinners for India but the team might decided to boost the spin attack with the likes of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.
Talking about the powerful India batting, skipper Gill, who has a mixed run at the Asia Cup, would like to regain his form and showcase the glimpses of his performance against England where he scored more than 750 runs in five Tests. KL Rahul with all his experience would a one of the biggest threats for the Windies unit and so would be opening sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal as he would try to showcase his prowess against a mediocre bowling.
With Karun Nair falling off in the race to cement his spot at number three, B Sai Sudharsan will have a clear run at the coveted spot. It remains to be seen whether India go with an extra batter in form of Devdutt Padikkal or pick a seam bowling all-rounder in Nitish Reddy.
Tough task for struggling West Indies
To better India in the Test series would be a tough task for the West Indies side as they have lost each of their three Tests in this WTC 2025-27 cycle. What adds to their woes is the recent series loss against an associate nation Nepal, though in a different format. The agony of succumbing for their lowest-ever total of 27 runs in their last outing against the Australian side in a day-night Test match against Jamaica stills haunts them, with a recovery slightly difficult against one of the best sides in the world.
The injuries of Shamar Joseph and Alazarri Joseph has taken off the sheen from their fast bowling department as the team will now have to rely upon the spin attack. Jayden Seales in the pace attack and tweaker Jomel Warrican will have a greater responsibility since his spin bowling partner Khary Pierre would only be making his Test debut if picked.
West Indies, which excluded Kraigg Brathwaite for this Test tour, have attempted to bolster their batting by recalling Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze. They missed out on the last Test series against Australia but the duo has an experience of playing against India as they were part of the squad when Windies last faced India.
Squads
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), N Jagadeesan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy
West Indies: John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, Brandon King, Roston Chase(c), Shai Hope(w), Justin Greaves, Khary Pierre, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican, Jediah Blades, Kevlon Anderson, Tevin Imlach