After a dismal ICC World Test Championship Final, India will face West Indies in their own den.
The West Indies are fresh from heartbreak as well, after failing to qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup.
The hosts have named an 18-member preparatory squad, most of whom are supposed to feature in the main squad. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and other Test regulars like Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and Joshua de Silva are in the squad.
Cheteshwar Pujara had to bear the brunt of the World Test Championship debacle and was axed. Young blood in the shape of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal has got the nod ahead of him. One of them is expected to debut in the first Test. Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar received his maiden Test call-up as well.
Jaiswal impressed with a 13-ball 50 in the IPL (the fastest in the tournament’s history), and 625 runs overall. He has been scoring in the domestic circuit as well. His national call-up is well-deserved.
Although Gaikwad also scored heavily in List A cricket and the IPL, his selection in the squad ahead of Sarfaraz Khan was a bit more debated. Khan has been extremely prolific on the first-class circuit, averaging 79.65, and yet has been ignored repeatedly. The batter has the second-best batting average among players with a minimum of 2,000 first-class runs.
Comeback hero Ajinkya Rahane is rewarded for his lone show amongst Indian batters in the WTC Final. He is entrusted with vice-captain duties. Rahane took the fight to the Aussies with scores of 89 and 46, rekindling memories of his best years.
Umesh Yadav has been axed after his lukewarm performance in the final, indicating that India are looking to infuse next-gen players in their squad.
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is rested, while Navdeep Saini makes a comeback after a long hiatus since India’s historic triumph at the Gabba in 2021.
For West Indies, the likes of Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Alzarri Joseph, and Roston Chase are busy competing in the World Cup qualifiers and aren’t named in the preparatory squad. They are guaranteed selections once the main squad is announced.
India’s Test squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
West Indies’ Preparatory Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alick Athanaze, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.
India Tour of West Indies: Schedule and Timings
Dominica will host the inaugural match of the series from July 12 to 16. Queens Park Oval in Trinidad is the host for the second Test starting from July 20. Both the matches will commence at 19:30 IST. The first two ODIs will be played at Kensington Oval in Barbados on July 27 and 29. The final ODI is scheduled on August 1 in Trinidad.
The T20I leg of the series will start from August 3 and will end on August 13. Matches will start at 20:00 IST.
India’s Tour of West Indies: Live Streaming and Telecast
There won’t be any live-coverage on television for the series. Jio Cinema comes to the rescue with its free streaming service as the entire tour can be watched on the Reliance-owned OTT Platform.
