Task cut out for WI as India eye winning start to home season

by Vijay Tagore • Last updated on

Jadeja has been named vice-captain for the series. © BCCI

If the India-West Indies series, starting tomorrow (October 2) in Ahmedabad, were to be played in a game of chess, it would be a contest with more to lose than to gain for the home side. For a higher-rated Elo player, victory over a lower-rated opponent normally brings little reward - and the returns are even more negligible when the gulf between them is huge in chess.

The situation is not much different in the current scenario with India standing to lose more than they can gain. It is No. 4 against No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings, but with 24 precious World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake, India would have hoped they were a shoo-in, otherwise. However, the unpredictable weather conditions could make the task a little tricky.

Theoretically and practically, the gap in quality between the sides is enormous, with the state of West Indies cricket raising global concerns. Their last pink-ball outing had ended in a debacle (27 all out), while recent white-ball performances were humbling experiences (against Nepal). The red-ball scenario is unlikely to be any better, although skipper Roston Chase insists that he leads a different bunch.

Since their arrival in India, the West Indies have been harping about drawing inspiration from last year's India-New Zealand series, in which Rohit Sharma's side shockingly went down 0-3. In reality, however, that result was a rare aberration in India's otherwise ruthless home record and dominance. As a matter of fact, in the last 22 Tests between the two sides since 2006, the West Indies have failed to win any, losing 13 and drawing nine.

New Zealand or otherwise, the Indian team remains an indomitable force at home. Fresh from a valiantly-fought drawn series in England, they are brimming with confidence and form. Shubman Gill, who looked unstoppable at No. 4 in England, is poised to lead again in familiar home conditions. The irrepressible opening duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel at No. 5 or 6, gives India a strong batting line-up despite the absence of regular wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Their only problem is the problem of abundance in resources with four genuine all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy - in the squad. Selecting the playing XI will be a tricky task, especially because the Narendra Modi Stadium pitch is not the usual dusty turner.

Jadeja and Sundar, after their brilliance in England, should be automatic picks. The presence of Kuldeep Yadav further complicates the task of selecting the XI, especially considering Axar's excellent record at the venue. That leaves two among three - Axar, Reddy, and Kuldeep - joining the bowling line-up of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja, and Sundar.

The word before the Test is that no specific request has been made by the Indian team management to the host association regarding the choice of wicket. The red-soil track carries a hint of grass, and the refrain in Ahmedabad is that everyone wants a Test that lasts longer rather than shorter. But whether this West Indies side can truly exploit a 'sporting' surface and push the Indian side remains the key question.

When: India vs West Indies, 1st Test, October 2-6, 2025, 9:30 AM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: India start as overwhelming favourites, even though Shubman Gill says he does not know how the match will pan out. The skipper's dilemma centers on the surface, which remains an unknown quantity. "The last Test match that we played here was on a black soil. We are playing this one on red soil. So I am actually looking forward to seeing how the wicket is going to play over the next five days," said Gill on the eve of the match. With the West Indies having lost a couple of key bowlers - Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph - Roston Chase's side arrives with a depleted attack, likely to be easy fodder for India's mighty batting line-up. An Indian win is all but certain, but the question is how many days it will take, especially with a bit of moisture in the sky.

Team News

India

With all players available, the hosts face a problem of plenty. Before the squad arrived, there was a plan to release Nitish Reddy for the India A or Rest of India game if he were not to be considered for the XI. That plan, seemingly, has now been cancelled, leaving India to consider using him as a third seamer alongside Bumrah and Siraj. Three of the four spinners in the squad are expected to make the XI, which means N Jagadeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Prasidh Krishna will warm the bench.

Possible XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

West Indies

There are three changes from the squad which recently faced Australia, with the inclusions of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, along with a maiden Test call up for left-arm spinner Khary Pierre. But the two Josephs - Shamar and Alzarri - are ruled out of the series due to injuries and replacement Jediah Blades, a left-arm pacer is yet to arrive in Ahmedabad. The visitors have tricky selection calls to make.

Squad: Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre and Jayden Seales.

Did you know:

Ravindra Jadeja needs 114 runs to complete a double of 300 wickets and 4000 runs in Tests. Only Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori have done that previously

India had won 18 consecutive home Test series between 2012/13 and 2024/25 - a streak broken by NZ last year (0-3). The next best streak is 10 for Australia -- twice -- 1994/95 - 2000/01 & 2004 - 2008/09

India and West Indies have contested in 10 bilateral series in the 21st century. WI won the five-match home series in 2002 by 2-1, while India won each of the next nine. WI haven't defeated India in a Test post those two wins in that 2002 series

What they said:

We are looking to play some hard, grinding cricket. Over the past few years, Test matches in India haven't really gone the full five days. What we are really aiming for is to play solid, demanding cricket. All the Test matches we played in England went pretty deep. What people can expect from us is challenging, hard-fought cricket, and we won't be looking for any easy options. We have the skill set to perform on any kind of wicket or in any situation - Shubman Gill, India skipper

This is a new series. It's a new day, so we just have to put everything behind us that has happened before and come up with the mentality that we're looking to dominate. We're looking to win and just go out there and give our best. Ask God for guidance and stick together as a team. Obviously, we're in India's backyard, and we're not going to have much support. So we have to stick together as a unit - coaching staff, players, management - and support one another through the tough times as well as the good times - Roston Chase, West Indies skipper

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