India's squad for West Indies Tests: Agarkar's 5 big calls packed with vice-captaincy shake-up, high-stakes decisions

This will be India's first home Test series since suffering a 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand in November last year — the first time India had been blanked at home in the format in 24 years. Calling it a "wake-up," Agarkar and his new-look selection committee are not taking the impending contest against the Caribbean nation lightly. They have made a few tough calls as India, under Shubman Gill, look to make a fresh start at home.

Ajit Agarkar's 5 big announcements for West Indies Test series

Vice-captaincy shake-up

India announced a new vice-captain for two-match series and Ravindra Jadeja was handed the responsibility after his impressive show in the tour of England, where he scored 516 runs at an average of 86, which included a match-saving century in Manchester on the final day.

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The reason behind the all-rounder's promotion was that Rishabh Pant was unavailable for series, owing to his recovery from the foot injury he incurred during that Manchester game against England in July this year.

"Rishabh Pant hasn't quite recovered for this series. We're hoping that he will recover for the next one. That's why we picked Jadeja as Vice captain," Agarkar said in the presser on Thursday in Dubai, where India are currently in the midst of their Asia Cup campaign.

Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran dropped

Nair made return to Test cricket after an eight-year gap earlier this summer in the tour of England. On the back of a stellar domestic season, Nair saw an opening in the Test squad after Virat Kohli vacated his spot in the line-up with a sudden retirement from Test cricket in May. He was quick in vindicating his selection with a triple-figure score in the pre-series India A tour game, but failed to replicate his form for India. He managed just 205 runs in four games against the Ben Stokes-led side, averaging 25.62 and registering a solitary fifty.

The selectors reckoned it wasn't enough for them to trust Nair with another series. He said: “Unfortunately, we can’t give everyone 15–20 Test matches. We had expected more from Karun in the England Test."

Easwaran, on the other hand, missed out only because the committee felt India did not require a backup opener for the series. “On Abhimanyu, we don’t need a third opener at home,” Agarkar clarified. Not to forget, the selectors did pick N Jagadeesan as the second-choice wicketkeeper-batter, who is well adept at serving as an opener in the format.

Sai Sudharsan as long-term No. 3

With Nair's run all but ending, Agarkar confirmed that the selectors and the team management are ready to give Sai Sudharsan an extended opportunity at No. 3 in Tests. “It is all about continuity. Sai Sudharsan has shown a lot of promise. He will get a longer rope,” the former India fast bowler said.

The Tamil Nadu batter played three matches on his debut Test series, on the tour of England, where he scored 140 runs at 23.33, with one half-century knock.

End of the road for Shami? Where is Akash Deep?

Mohammed Shami has once again failed to make it back to the Test squad despite having made an appearance in the Duleep Trophy at the start of this season, to prove his red-ball fitness. But that solitary appearance remained his only exposure to the format this season, where he picked up one wicket for 136 runs. In fact, since the 2023 World Test Championship final, his only other first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. And that is precisely why the selectors have been reluctant to consider him again. “He has not had a lot of cricket in the last three years,” Agarkar said.

As for Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna's selection showed where he is in the pecking order. The Bengal fast bowler, who missed the Manchester Test against England owing to a groin injury, was instead added to the Irani Cup squad along with Easwaran. The selectors did not need an extra pacer for the less seam-friendly conditions at home and hence reckoned that rather than warming the bench, it would be better for the player to get some game time in domestic cricket.

In Nitish Kumar Reddy they trust

India have long been in search of a player of Hardik Pandya's stature in Test cricket, and with Gautam Gambhir's arrival last year into the set-up, Nitish Reddy was introduced into the line-up. Although his modest show in domestic cricket raised a few eyebrows over his selection, he quickly vindicated the call with his century on the tour of Australia. However, he has since blown hot and cold. In the recent tour of England, he scored just 45 runs in four innings and picked up three wickets in two matches. But the selectors have enough faith in the fast-bowling all-rounder.

“Nitish showed a lot of promise, with the way he bowled and his batting under pressure. He’s a young kid who’s developing. He does give a lot of flexibility,” Agarkar said.

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