CRICKET | With Asia Cup in the review mirror, India will look to extend dominance over Windies

Barely 4 days aft an Asia Cup marked by geopolitical theatre, provocative actions and distasteful comments ended, India volition play the archetypal of 2 Tests against West Indies astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium present from Thursday.

Incidentally, the lucifer volition commence connected the 156th commencement day of Mahatma Gandhi, 1 of world’s foremost bid merchants, and successful the vicinity of the Sabarmati Ashram, which stands arsenic grounds to galore a Gandhian ideal. A crippled played successful enactment with the tone of cricket — and of each athletics — would frankincense beryllium a invited change.

It should assistance that players volition instrumentality the tract successful pristine white, a colour synonymous with tranquility and harmony. And successful cricketing terms, the West Indies has been waving the achromatic emblem against India for a important clip now, having mislaid the erstwhile 9 series.

It past bushed India successful a Test backmost successful May 2002 successful Kingston, Jamaica, and hasn’t won a five-day matter successful India since Mohali, 1994. In July, Roston Chase’s men were besides beaten 3-0 astatine location by Australia, which included a 27-run innings, the second-lowest people successful history.

As a host, India has agelong been insurmountable, but past year’s chastening 0-3 reverse to New Zealand – the archetypal bid nonaccomplishment successful implicit a decennary — caused a large dent. But the well-earned 2-2 gully distant successful England this summertime should clasp Shubman Gill & Co. successful bully stead.

The squad looks acquainted to the 1 that travelled to the Old Blighty, with the notable exceptions being southpaw Devdutt Padikkal replacing Karun Nair and Dhruv Jurel deputising arsenic wicketkeeper for the still-injured Rishabh Pant. 

That India means concern is evident from the information that Jasprit Bumrah — whose clip successful Tests is rationed — is successful the squad. The 4 spinners successful Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar should beryllium a handful.

The Windies, successful contrast, person mislaid cardinal accelerated bowlers successful Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph to injuries, and the onus volition beryllium connected right-armer Jayden Seales. The 2 left-arm spinners successful Jomel Warrican and the yet-to-debut Khary Pierre volition nevertheless beryllium keenly watched. In fact, India’s signifier connected Tuesday had a just sprinkling of left-arm spinners among nett bowlers.

Leading into the Test, Ahmedabad has been humid, with occasional spells of rain. Two days from the match, the wicket sported a greenish look and the signifier pitches adjacent to the stadium besides seemed afloat of life.

Whether conditions yet enactment rotation oregon pace, West Indies’ foremost situation volition beryllium to enactment competitory for lengthy periods, particularly astatine a clip erstwhile determination is speech of a two-tiered Test operation and the Caribbeans being relegated to the bottommost one. If they can, it volition beryllium a communicative befitting the country’s affluent cricketing history.

The teams (from): India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav.

West Indies: Roston Chase (Capt.), Jomel Warrican, Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope (wk), Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre and Jayden Seales.

Match starts astatine 9.30 a.m. IST (Thursday).