3 changes Team India can consider for IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test ft. Devdutt Padikkal

Team India are aiming for an encore to wrap up the home series against the West Indies after their impressive showing in the series opener. The Shubman Gill-led side made easy work of the visitors, and will face them in the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from Friday, October 10 onwards.

The Men in Blue threw in some surprises in their playing XI for the first Test, and some more changes could be in order as the Australia tour is set to commence mere days after the conclusion of the series against Roston Chase and co.

Although India do not have a lot to reflect upon or scrutinise following their win by an innings and 140 runs in Ahmedabad, there are still some areas including the No.3 spot and the number of bowling options which may be assessed before the playing XI is locked in.

On that note, let us take a look at three changes Team India can consider for IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test.

#1 Devdutt Padikkal for Nitish Kumar Reddy

Team India prepared their bowling attack for a greenish pitch in the first Test by featuring six bowling options, much like they had in the England tour. However, with the West Indies lasting less than 90 overs combined across both innings, the extra option ended up being an overkill.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, featuring in his first home Test, unsurprisingly ended up bowling just four overs, with all of them coming in the first innings. On top of that, he did not have a turn with the bat as well since India declared their only innings with five wickets in hand.

Given that the second Test is expected to have a batting-friendly surface, it is a viable opportunity to give Devdutt Padikkal some valuable game time, since he is being viewed as a long-term option in the middle-order for the team.

Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja's recent heroics might lead one to believe that India can continue to bulk up the playing XI with all-rounders, and although that route promises to yield results against inferior opponents, the fact is that India need specialist batters in the middle-order in the long run.

India have red-ball assignments against South Africa and Sri Lanka ahead in their WTC run, and the aim would be to have a settled batting order by that time, and that includes fitting Devdutt Padikkal into the playing XI.

His inclusion does not necessarily have to be debatable or tough since it is not a like-for-like one, and the team already have five quality bowling options to work with in Reddy's absence.

#2 Prasidh Krishna for Mohammed Siraj

Team India's squad selection for the Australia white-ball tour spoke volumes ahead of the second Test against the West Indies, and given the close proximity between the two assignments, it could have a say in how the playing XI shapes up for the second Test.

The selectors made a massive call not to include Jasprit Bumrah in the ODI series, which leads to believe he will be a part of the playing XI for the second Test despite the dominant fashion with which India claimed the 1-0 lead. The team management are not willing to take any chances in the WTC cycle, aiming to claim all possible points from the home Tests.

But, since Mohammed Siraj returns to the ODI team, and that too as a spearhead in Bumrah's absence, India could afford to relieve him from the playing XI. Although the pacer was on a break during the 2025 Asia Cup, he has had too much red-ball cricket under his belt of late. The five Tests in England, coupled with two red-ball matches in India recently, calls for some rotation, as India need him at full throttle for the Australia ODIs.

There have been some concerns regarding Team India's bowling depth after Bumrah and Siraj, and If Prasidh Krishna is viewed as the bona fide third seam bowler of the team, he will need game time to improve and close the gap on the aforementioned duo. There will not be many opportunities like the second Test against the West Indies to hand the pacer some game time, that too on home soil.

It is not a change that the team needs to make, but it is one they can afford to, just as part of rotation, and maintain the long-term prospects of the team.

#3 Axar Patel for Washington Sundar

Team India's spin riches have only gotten more complicated after Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement. The trio of Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav worked wonders in the first Test to rattle Roston Chase and co. in trademark fashion, and upon first glance, there may not even be a need to introduce any changes to the department.

However, as much as Axar Patel has evolved in white-ball cricket, unfortunately, he has regressed in Test cricket of late. Indispensable at one time, he is now 20 months without red-ball cricket for the national team. He did not play in the latter half of the 2024 home series against England, and the entirety of the infamous home series loss against New Zealand later that year.

Ravindra Jadeja, being the vice-captain, and Kuldeep Yadav, just returning back to Test cricket, arguably cannot be dropped from the side, which leaves only Washington Sundar.

The Tamil Nadu all-rounder has exceeded expectations since his return to the team, barely putting a foot wrong across both departments. He is one of the two spin all-rounders to feature in the ODI squad, and could use a small break after his county stint and the series opener against the West Indies.

This gives the hosts the room to rotate and bring in Axar Patel for some game time before the Australia tour.

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