Shubman Gill’s India will be the clear favorites against a faltering and under-strength West Indies when the two teams play on a green-top in the first Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday, despite the short turnaround time from the high of winning a scandal-plagued Asia Cup.
Between Monday and Tuesday, the majority of the Indian team, including captain Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived in Ahmedabad. Since then, they have done everything they can to prepare for red-ball cricket. Points for the World Test Championship are also up for grabs, so the stakes are quite high.
The match, which begins on Thursday, will be the first of four home games in which the hosts will try to add as many points as possible. Gill’s team is now in third place and one ahead of England after a fantastic five-Test series in Old Blighty, in which India tied 2-2.
This time around, Ahmedabad’s playing conditions seem to be very different, with a green field under gloomy skies. Despite the heat and humidity, there is a risk that rain will interrupt the Test match, but not enough to ruin the match.
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to claim that India’s playing combination will spark more intrigue than the match itself, considering the West Indies’ predicament—they have lost all three of their Test matches in this WTC 2025–27 cycle—and the stark difference between the two rival squads.
The first of the four home Test matches will be played on a green-top field, which may indicate that India is temporarily abandoning their fondness for rank turners, which was the reason for their defeat against New Zealand the previous season despite the fact that it appeared to be the “right thing to do.”
Since India’s last home Test match in October 2024, a lot has actually changed. Along with the renowned Ravichandran Ashwin, batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have also retired. Despite Mohammed Shami’s absence, India’s firepower is intact across all departments.
India’s batting and bowling units are settled, but it’s unclear if the team’s think tank would choose to select seam bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy or additional batter Devdutt Padikkal.
Although Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are anticipated to be the main spinners, India may choose to add Axar Patel or possibly Washington Sundar to strengthen the spin attack.
Washington joined the team’s training session on Tuesday after completing his County stint with Hampshire. With Karun Nair slipping out of contention for the No.3 slot, B Sai Sudharsan now has a clear run at securing the coveted position.
After the England tour break, KL Rahul will be eager to continue his explosive form after leading India A to a five-wicket victory over Australia A with a commanding 176 not out.
Following the conclusion of the England tour, Yashasvi Jaiswal has also had a good break. He did not participate in the Asia Cup campaign or the ‘A’ series, which included Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, among other teammates.
In England, where he amassed 754 runs in five Test matches, captain Gill, who had a mixed Asia Cup campaign, will try to get back to his amazing form.
Even before the opening ball is bowled, the West Indies’ backs are firmly against the wall.
There is no quick fix for their problems, and the ignominy of getting dismissed for their lowest-ever total of 27 in their most recent match—a day-night Test match against Australia at Jamaica—looms large.
If anything, the visitors may have to rely more on their two left-arm spinners because of the loss of bowling potency caused by the injury withdrawals of promising fast bowlers Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph.
Since his spin bowling partner Khary Pierre would only be making his Test debut if selected, Jayden Seales in the pace attack and tweaker Jomel Warrican will be under more pressure.
The West Indies have tried to strengthen their batting by calling up Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, after excluding Kraigg Brathwaite for this Test tour.
They both did not participate in the Australia series, although they did play the previous time the Caribbean team met India in their home series.
As the sole right-arm spinner in the touring team, skipper Chase will have his hands full. In Test cricket in India, spinners are always useful, regardless of the surface.
Teams (from):
India: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (wk), N Jagadeesan (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
West Indies: Roston Chase (c), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shai Hope (wk), Tevin Imlach (wk), Brandon King, Justin Greaves, Johann Layne, Khary Pierre, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Jediah Blades
