After a short break following the Asia Cup, the Indian cricket team is ready to don the whites again for a two-Test series against the West Indies starting October 2. The BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, is expected to announce the 15-member squad later today.
Series schedule and significance
The opening Test will be held in Ahmedabad, followed by the second match in Delhi from October 10. This will be India’s first red-ball outing since the 2-2 draw in England, which marked the inaugural Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy.
India’s return to home Tests carries added weight:
- The team is still recovering from the 0-3 defeat to New Zealand at home last year — one of its poorest home records in recent memory.
- India is currently third in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, behind Australia and Sri Lanka. With four home Tests lined up, skipper Shubman Gill and his young squad will eye nothing short of a sweep to boost their WTC campaign.
Squad expectations
Gill will lead the side after serving as deputy in the recent T20I series under Suryakumar Yadav. With a tour of South Africa scheduled for November, the home Tests will act as a crucial build-up.
Key updates on team composition:
- Rishabh Pant is yet to recover from the toe fracture sustained in England, paving the way for Dhruv Jurel as the first-choice wicketkeeper.
- Ravindra Jadeja returns fresh from a break and will provide experience to a squad missing recently retired stalwarts Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
Jadeja’s presence, both with bat and ball, is expected to be a major boost as India looks to dominate on home soil.