WI Vs IND 1st Test Match Preview: Rohit and Co Start As Favorites in The Red Ball Series against West Indies
WI vs IND 1st Test Match Preview: After a disappointing loss in the World Test Championship final against The Aussies, Team India will take on the home side, West Indies on this tour of the Caribbean in 2023.
Rohit and Co will play a series of two Test matches. The 1st Test match will start from Wednesday, 12th July 2023 to Sunday, 16th July 2023 at Windsor Park, Roseau in Dominica.
WI Vs IND 1st Test Preview: Team India’s Playing XI and Preview
India will aim to start the new cycle of the World Test Championship with a win. They had reached the finals of the WTC twice in a row in 2021 and 2023.
But they lost to New Zealand and Australia in the one-off Test event in England. India will start their 2023 to 2025 WTC cycle against the Windies in this upcoming series of the red ball format.
India won the series across the formats when the men in blue toured the Windies nation in 2019. That was under the leadership of Virat Kohli, while Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were also part of the Test squad on that tour.
But now, India will miss Boom Boom Bumrah and Mohammed Shami who has been given a rest from the whole Caribbean tour in 2023.
In the absence of Jasprit and Shami, Mohammed Siraj will be the leader of the Indian pace bowling department. Siraj has been excellent in all three formats of the game.
Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini and Jaydev Unadkat are also quality fast bowlers in the Indian line-up and they will hold the key in this two-match series.
India’s batting performance in the WTC 2023 Final was disappointing. Although, Rohit, Virat and Ajinkya are experienced batters now in the side.
But apart from Rahane’s brilliant test return, none of the batsmen could do well against the world-class bowling attack of Australia.
India has included Yashasvi Jaiswal in their Test squad in place of Cheteshwar Pujara.
Rahane who played well in the finals of WTC is renamed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team. India will play with Ashwin and Jadeja as their two spin bowlers and might go with four pace bowlers in the first Test match.
But the question is, who should keep wickets in the absence of Rishabh Pant? India has picked Kishan and Bharat for this series.
KS Bharat had got chances in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series and in the World Test Championship final against The Aussies.
But the wicket-keeper batter of Tamil Nadu failed to impress with the bat in hand.
However, his skills with the gloves were good. But looking at the batting perspective, Ishan Kishan should get a go in the 1st Test match.
Team India’s Playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan(wk), Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini.
WI Vs IND 1st Test Preview: West Indies Team Preview and Playing XI
The home side West Indies had a torrid time in the International Cricket arena. They didn’t qualify for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia last year and this time the two-time ODI World Cup Champions of 1975 and 1979 WC, failed to qualify for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
West Indies could win just two matches in the ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
Their form in the red ball format is also not that great. But still, they should rise above all these things and get ready for the red ball series against a good side like Team India.
The batters of the Windies side hold the key to their success in this series. If the batters fire for them then they can give a good fight against this Indian team.
The bowlers too need to compliment the side in such a crisis situation. Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, and Shannon Gabriel will hold the key for the home side in the first Test match.
While the skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, former captain Jason Holder and Jermaine Blackwood will have to step up with the bat for their team.
West Indies Playing XI: Kraigg Brathwaite(c), Jermaine Blackwood, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva(wk), Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alzarri Joseph, Kirk McKenzie, Jomel Warrican.
WI Vs IND 1st Test Match: Pitch Report
The pitch report of the 1st Test match between India and West Indies says that this wicket is a regular surface to play Test cricket.
The fast bowlers will get help on the first two days and the pitch will be good for batting later on.
While the spin bowlers will come into action in the last two days of this red ball game.
WI Vs IND 1st Test Preview: Weather Report
The weather report says that it might rain on day 1, 4 and 5 of this first red-ball match.
WI Vs IND 1st Test Preview: 11Sixes Fantasy Team
Batters – Virat Kohli, Jermaine Blackwood and Ajinkya Rahane
Bowlers – Mohammed Siraj, Alzarri Joesph and Ravi Ashwin
All-rounders – Jason Holder and Ravindra Jadeja
Wicket-keeper – Ishan Kishan
Vice-captain – Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Captain – Rohit Sharma
The first Test match between West Indies Vs India will start at 7.30 PM according to the Indian Standard Time (IST), 2 PM GMT and 10 AM Local Time.
DD Sports will air this match live on their television channel in India and the live streaming services will be shown on the mobile application of FanCode.
