India Squad Announcement for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: Jadeja crowned vice-captain, Agarkar reveals 15-member unit

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: As the clock strikes 12 PM IST, we are officially less than half an hour away from the announcement. As expected, the buzz around the squad isn’t as much as the one for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Most of the squad is going to be on expected lines, mirroring the 15 players that played in England a month ago. Still, the excitement that is generating has to do with India's return to Test cricket, marking the resumption of the WTC cycle, where India is placed third, behind Australia and Sri Lanka. The lid will be lifted shortly. Agarkar is on his way.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: West Indies and India have met 100 times in Test cricket, with the Caribbean side holding a 30-23 advantage. On Indian soil, the head-to-head is much closer, with West Indies narrowly leading 14-13 across 47 encounters. However, their dominance is long in the past – the visitors haven’t won a Test in India since December 1994 in Mohali. Since then, they’ve lost eight of the next 10 matches, including successive 2-0 whitewashes on their last two tours in 2013 and 2018.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: While media reports suggest that Karun Nair’s place in the Test series is far from certain, Sai Sudharsan has strengthened his case with a composed 75 off 140 for India A, the team’s highest score in the innings against Australia A. The knock has further bolstered the Tamil Nadu batter’s claim for the No. 3 spot in the playing XI.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: With Pant virtually ruled out, Narayan Jagadeesan is set to be the second-choice wicketkeeper for the series. He had earlier been drafted in as back-up during the England tour, following Pant’s injury, on the back of a strong domestic season. Jagadeesan has backed that up with solid returns, scoring 64 off 113 in the first India A game against Australia A, and earlier, in his lone Duleep Trophy appearance, posting 197 and an unbeaten 52. If the selectors also view him as a potential third specialist opener, it could leave Abhimanyu Easwaran out of contention.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: Devdutt Padikkal has made a strong case for himself with his stellar run in domestic cricket, capped off by a resilient 150 in the recent four-day game against Australia A. The stylish southpaw has instantly emerged as the ideal replacement for Karun Nair, who struggled to make an impact during the England tour.

Alongside him, Nitish Reddy is also expected to feature in the squad. Though named in the England tour party, Reddy had to pull out with a knee injury. Now fit again, the management is keen to slot both Padikkal and Reddy into the side and tap into their potential during the upcoming home series.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: If you ask, “Who’s the best pacer in the world right now?”most of us wouldn’t even blink before saying it. Jasprit Bumrah. So when India’s favourite showman is rested for workload management, we get it… but let’s be honest, we still miss him every single over whenever the rest of the Indian bowlers struggle.

Well, here’s the good news for Indian fans: Bumrah is set to be back in action for the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, starting October 2. India’s assistant head coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has all but confirmed the development.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: Shreyas Iyer has experienced several ups and downs in his career, but none more dark than last year, when he was stripped of the BCCI Central Contracts List. However, once he was reinstated, a section of fans believed that it was only a matter of time before he made it back in India's all three formats. Still, Iyer has just regained his place in ODIs, while his T20I future looks unlikely given the plethora of talent that there is. Iyer was also surprisingly left out of the England Tests, which led to several ex-cricketers questioning this move from Agarkar. But as it turns out, Iyer is out of red-ball cricket for a bit. After pulling out of the 2nd unofficial Test against Australia A, Iyer wrote to the BCCI seeking rest from red-ball cricket. And how long is this break going to last, either Iyer knows or the BCCI.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: It was an emotional moment for everyone when Karun Nair’s name appeared in the India squad for the England tour. Here was a man desperate for a second, grinding it out day after day in domestic cricket, and finally earning the reward.

However, his much-awaited comeback didn’t quite pan out the way he would have hoped. Across the tour, Nair managed 205 runs at an average of 25.63, with just one fifty to his name. More often than not, he looked good at the crease, but the inability to convert starts – an essential trait for any Test cricketer – proved costly. As a result, his place in the squad looks uncertain, and we may not see him feature in the upcoming home series against the West Indies.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: India's squad for the West Indies Test was originally supposed to be revealed yesterday, somewhere on the sidelines of India's Asia Cup Super 4 match against Bangladesh. The decision was slightly frowned upon as it would clash with the match, leading to divided attention. The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, was believed to address a press conference, only for selected media. However, to avoid the clunkiness, the decision was delayed by some 18-odd hours, with the BCCI announcing a revised announcement time.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: You all remember the horrific scenes from the Manchester Test, don’t you? Rishabh Pant, in his trademark flamboyant style, went for a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes, missed, and took the blow on his toes. The injury was so severe that he had to be carried off the field on a golf cart. Yet, true to his fighting spirit, he returned the very next day, limping on one leg, to bat with a fractured toe.

In the weeks that followed, there was good news. Reports surfaced of him walking without support, followed by updates of him beginning conditional training. Those glimpses of recovery thrilled Indian fans, who hoped to see their match-winner back in action soon. But as per the latest developments, Pant is set to miss the upcoming series. Dhruv Jurel is likely to take over the wicketkeeping duties, with Narayan Jagadeesan expected to be included in the squad.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: India have played just one Test series so far in this new WTC cycle, against the Ben Stokes-led side in England earlier this summer. Under new Test captain Shubman Gill, India bounced back in the second game after losing the opener in Leeds. The 25-year-old scored a record 269 and 161 to help India win by 336 runs. England regained the lead in the third game, before India eked out a draw in Manchester and then held their nerves in the final at the Oval to win by six runs. The series ended in a 2-2 draw. Gill amassed 774 runs, averaging 75.40, with four centuries.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: The series against West Indies will mark the Indian team's first campaign at home in the format since the whitewash against New Zealand last year in November. It was the first time India were blanked in Test contest on home soil in 25 years.

The loss had subsequently marked a downfall for the Indian team in the format as they lost in the tour of Australia as well. The consecutive defeats saw India fall from a position where they were a win away from WTC final qualification to getting eliminated. In the wake of the poor performances, India also went through a transition as the likes of R Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - all retired from Test cricket.

India squad for West Indies Tests LIVE Updates: What's up, Test cricket fanatics? We call you that for a reason. Because, like us, you can’t wait for the format’s return. And what better stage for it than to watch a young Indian brigade, led by Shubman Gill, step back onto home soil with a point to prove.

Last year, under the old guard, India suffered their first home Test series defeat in 12 years, a setback that seriously dented their road to the World Test Championship final. But times have changed. With some legends bowing out and a new generation rising to the challenge - the England tour being proof - this rejuvenated Indian side is ready to run riot once again on home turf.

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