Team India’s schedule for the next two months or so is jam packed. First the IND vs WI Test series will commence on October 2, just after the Asia Cup, and on October 19, the IND vs AUS white-ball series will start. So, it is only fair to look at India squad for the West Indies Test series.
Shubman Gill Could Miss 1st Test, KL Rahul Could Lead
The Test team skipper Shubman Gill is busy with the Asia Cup for now, and given that India goes on to play the final on September 28, the turnaround time for him will only be three days. So, in all likelihood he could miss the first Test, and could well be around for the second Test. In the meantime, KL Rahul could lead the side.
Three Openers Set, Karun Nair & Sai Sudharsan In Too
There shouldn’t be any change in the batting make up of the side. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, who had a good England series are the main openers, while Abhimanyu Easwaran will once again be the reserve. Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair would be in the middle order duties; only one of the them will most likely play.
Rishabh Pant Injured, N Jagadeesan 2nd Keeper
If Rishabh Pant doesn’t recover in time from his foot injury, then it only makes sense to have Dhruv Jurel as the main keeper of the side. That also means, India would need a back up, and that could be N Jagadeesan, who has been in sublime form, and had recently scored 197 in the Duleep Trophy semis vs North Zone.
No Place for Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer Comes Back
With the middle-order already packed, there are bound to be some players who might just miss out on India berth. Once against Sarfaraz Khan is that player, and the management would most likely go with Shreyas Iyer. He has been waiting for his turn for a long time as well, and had last played a Test in 2024, against England. So, it could be his latest chance of redemption.
Three All-rounders
Despite playing in India, Gautam Gambhir might want to have the cushion of four all-rounders in the side. That could very well be Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The pacer might not be used after all, but looking how the coach is comfortable with this category of players.. he might just be preferred.
Pace Battery Set
Jasprit Bumrah is an automatic pick. He might just play one Test though. But the pacer to miss out could be Arshdeep Singh. Nonetheless, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna still make the cut. Yes, if someone is nursing an injury, or needs to be rested, Arshdeep will certainly be there.
Probable India Squad for West Indies Series
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N Jagadeesan.
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