The Test series will begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced the 15-member squad, which will be on the flight to India for the two-match Test series next month. Roston Chase will continue to lead the side in the longest format, while Jomel Warrican will be his deputy. This will be the first time that the Windies will play Tests on Indian soil since 2018. However, former skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was not named in the squad.
To add to that, this will be the West Indies’ first tour in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle of 2025-27. The Maroons have played a total of three Tests in the ongoing cycle, and have ended up on the losing side on all three occasions. This was back in June when they hosted Australia for a three-match series. However, with the Indian Test team in transition, the Windies will aim to bounce back.
Brathwaite, who was not included in the 15-member squad, had led the West Indies from 2021 to early 2024. He captained his team for 39 Tests, with notable victories in Australia and Pakistan. He did not have a great series against Australia earlier this year. In the first two Tests, Brathwaite could not cross the 10-run mark and was dropped from the third Test. There has been a visible slump in his recent performances.
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The West Indies have named two exciting talents for the India tour, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze. Additionally, left-arm spinner Khary Pierre has also received his maiden call-up. Pierre has been a force to reckon with in the recent West Indies Championship. He has bagged 41 wickets at an impressive average of 13.56.
There seems to be good planning behind the choices that the Windies have made this time around. As per the selection, Chanderpaul and Athanaze have been picked to strengthen the top order. Pierre, on the other hand, will play a role as the second specialist spinner. It will be extremely important for Chase & Co. to have good spinners in their ranks. The matches will be played in Ahmedabad and Delhi, with both venues assisting spin at some point in the match.
However, Brathwaite is not the only player to miss out. The selection panel has decided to rest Gudakesh Motie from the longest format of the game. This decision comes as a way to manage his workload ahead of the hectic white-ball season. With the T20 World Cup nearing early next year, the teams would want their key players to be fresh.
“Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions”, said head coach Darren Sammy after the announcement of the squad.
Roston Chase (capt.), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt.), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, and Jayden Seales.
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