India cricket team are expected to field a spin-heavy unit in their 1st Test against the West Indies which begins from October 2. The series marks Shubman Gill’s first assignment as the Test skipper at home where he will be aiming to redeem himself after leading the side to a 2-2 draw in the series against England. With the first Test set to take place just days after the Asia Cup final, it would be wise for India to rest some of their star players who are currently a part of their campaign in the Middle East.
India predicted XI for IND vs WI 1st Test
| Position | Player | Role |
| 1. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opener |
| 2. | KL Rahul | Opener |
| 3. | Sai Sudharsan | Batter |
| 4. | Shubman Gill (C) | Batter |
| 5. | Dhruv Jurel (WK) | Keeper-Batter |
| 6. | Ravindra Jadeja (VC) | All-rounder |
| 7. | Washington Sundar | All-rounder |
| 8. | Axar Patel | All-rounder |
| 9. | Kuldeep Yadav | Spiner |
| 10. | Mohammed Siraj | Pacer |
| 11. | Jasprit Bumrah | Pacer |
What if Bumrah isn’t there?
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar, on Thursday, confirmed that Bumrah is keen and ready to play both the Tests against West Indies. However, it remains to be seen if the pace spearhead is needed, at least for a series at home. With Bumrah set to play in the Asia Cup final on September 28, there ae very little chances that he will feature in the 1st Test that begins on October 2 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.
Should Bumrah be ignored for the first Test, then India’s pace bowling options will include spearhead Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. The absence of the pacer will allow Nitish Reddy to be included in the XI, who will serve as the 3rd pacer. It remains to be seen if the selectors and coach Gambhir are keen on sticking with Bumrah in the line-up or if they will give him a much-needed rest after the Asia Cup campaign.
Gill not needed?
Captain Gill will be forced to play the 1st IND vs WI Test just three days after the Asia Cup final. Featuring as an opener for India in all the Asia Cup matches so far, the Punjab batter has amassed 111 runs from 5 innings. While it is near impossible for India to name a replacement as captain for Gill, they do have the liberty to field another batter in the XI.
That batter is none other than Padikkal, who scored a 150-run knock in the 1st unofficial Test against Australia A. With that knock, he managed to cement a spot in India’s squad for the series against West Indies, replacing Karun Nair. Should India decide to rest Gill for the 1st IND vs WI Test, they could get Devdutt to bat at number 5 while Jurel is promoted to number 4.
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