He was the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies Championship, 2024/25.
The West Indies are playing the Test series against India with one of the most inexperienced bowling units, with a few yet to make their debut. One of them is Khary Pierre, who is a contrasting case from other non-debutants in the squad.
Pierre made his First Class debut in 2016 at the age of 25 but had to wait for another nine years before finally getting a Test call-up. His journey has been far from easy, and his red-ball career reflects a pattern of having to wait longer for every milestone, from his First-Class debut to his Test call-up.
However, it enabled him to toil as much as possible in the domestic competitions and be at his finest when the chance finally comes. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Pierre highlighted how he has been working on improving the technical side of his bowling, which can trouble India, who might be unprepared for this threat.
“I would say control, consistency, just trying to stay full at the batsman as much as possible. Variations, using the crease, just trying to outfox the batsman – I think that is the aim of any spinner – use angles and stuff like that.”
Khary Peirre was the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies Championship, 2024/25, snaring 41 wickets at an average of 13.56 in 11 outings, including three five-wicket hauls. Among all bowlers with at least 10 wickets in the competition, the left-arm spinner had the best average, and he had the joint-most five-wicket hauls.
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He is among those accurate spinners who bowl the stump line and vary their pace smartly. India have lately opted for spin-friendly pitches in home Tests, and if the trend continues, Pierre will be in the game for an extended period and prove to be the dark horse.
The likes of Todd Murphy and Tom Hartley have troubled batters on their maiden India tours in recent years, and this batting lineup is still relatively young, especially in Rishabh Pant’s absence. Then, Pierre also brings the batting cushion, for he is a more than handy lower-order batter, with an average of 21.59 and a century in First Class cricket.
Gudakesh Motie is rested for the rubber, and the limelight will be on Pierre, who is set to become the oldest West Indies Test player since 1973. A match-winning performance to stun India will do well for him after waiting all these years to get a stage in the longest format.
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