India Playing XI vs West Indies (Predicted): Starting October 2nd, the West Indies will be playing their first Test series against India in India since 2018. The last time the West Indies beat India on their own turf in a Test match was way back in 1994.
Plenty of personnel on both sides have changed since the last time the West Indies visited this part of the Asian continent. Both India and the West Indies have new captains—Shubman Gill and Roston Chase, respectively. Both units have seen some senior players either retire or get dropped in the last few years.
In their last Test series, the West Indies were blanked 3-0 at home by Australia, and India drew 2-2 against England away from home in one of the most competitively fought Test series of the 21st century.
Talking about the India squad for the West Indies Test series, the selectors have picked a 15-man squad. From the squad that toured England, the dropped/unavailable players are Rishabh Pant (injured), Anshul Kamboj, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, Karun Nair, and Shardul Thakur.
The incoming players in the squad are Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel, and N. Jagadeesan, who is the backup keeper and opener. Nitish Reddy, who missed the last two Tests in England due to an injury, is also back.
With Pant missing the West Indies Test series due to a toe injury, Dhruv Jurel, who played at the Oval, will take Pant’s duties.
Now with Nair dropped for the IND vs WI Test series, India’s batting order looks largely predictable. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are set to open, with Sai Sudharsan set to get a long rope at No. 3. He will be followed by skipper Shubman Gill. Ravindra Jadeja, the new vice-captain, may come in at No. 5, followed by Jurel and Nitish Reddy, or a spin-bowling all-rounder in Axar Patel or Washington Sundar.
However, it will be selecting the bowling attack that will be heavily debated and challenging for the team management. Jasprit Bumrah is available for both Tests, so he is expected to play, despite his participation in the Asia Cup final only three days before the start of the Test series.
Siraj, who had a dream series in England, will be the second fast bowler behind Bumrah. However, there is also a possibility that India may choose only one frontline pacer because they have the option of Nitish Reddy. That is given if the pitch is spin-friendly from the first day of the Test.
Picking the trio of spinners will also pose its own challenges for Gill and Gambhir. Jadeja is a certainty, and given Sundar’s exploits in England with both bat and ball and the fact that he is the heir apparent to the retired Ashwin, Sundar seems very much a shoo-in for the XI in the IND vs WI Test series.
IND vs WI: Will Kuldeep Yadav Play Against West Indies?
That will leave India debating between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who was benched for all five Tests in England. Axar provides batting depth, a factor that the current management under Gambhir prefer, while Kuldeep is as compelling and wicket-taking a bowling option as any spinner in the world, with excellent white-ball form on his side.
As mentioned above, India can play all four spinners—that is, Jadeja, Sundar, Axar, and Kuldeep—if they can play only one pacer—either Bumrah or Siraj—with Nitish Reddy being the second pace option.
IND vs WI: India Playing XI For 1st Test Against West Indies – Predicted
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj/Kuldeep Yadav
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